


Capture

by kpopismydrug



Category: Super Junior
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, M/M, Mild Language, Sexual Content, or an attempt of sci fi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2014-09-13
Packaged: 2018-02-17 06:44:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 33,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2300228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kpopismydrug/pseuds/kpopismydrug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Donghae is offered a high profile job to guard over, he never would have thought it would take him to Earth, a home he has longed for near enough all of his life, but he soon realises that the life he knows is about to become upturned. When the threat of war surfaces, threatening humankind’s fragility, Donghae finds himself cornered between orders and personal morals. </p><p>The choice he makes will seal his fate, with no way of turning back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Capture

**Author's Note:**

> Let's all pretend that it only takes a few weeks, months to travel in space, rather than _years_ , and while we're also pretending, let's also pretend that my attempt of sci fi isn't ridiculous and that what I have wrote makes sense! Yay!
> 
> Now that I have brainwashed you, I hope you all enjoy it ^-^

 

 

 

 

 

Watching Earth, Donghae felt a part of him ache at the visible signs of neglect you can see on the planet. He knows from images taken in the late 1900’s that Earth used to look so vibrant, healthy. Now, now the planet no longer looks vibrant; its huge oceans no longer look a rich deep blue, the land no longer looking lush and healthy. It looks desolate, the huge lands of the forgotten countries being reclaimed by the planet, trying to undo the damage that humankind had inflicted on it for so many years. Only few of the countries on Earth are habitable enough to sustain human life, the others were abandoned when the planet began to fail.

 

Donghae is hazy on the history line, having slept through his history classes when he was younger, but even though he was born and has grown up on a space ship that houses hundreds, he still aches for the planet, the home he was meant to live on.

 

Pulling himself away from the window of his small room, he began to get ready for his day; he had a training session this afternoon with the new recruits on the company ship he was currently living on.

 

Ever since mankind fled into space, technology has come to a somewhat halt. Depending on the station you were grounded on or the ship you lived in whilst travelling through space, the level of technology you would have at your disposal would depend on importance.

 

Donghae’s home ship, where he was born, hadn’t been a grand thing. Some ships were ranked on class which would be applied to your family title, meaning if you had a barely average job you would be housed in a very average ship or station.

 

Donghae’s only ever been on a high classed ship once, those for the people and families who run the countless businesses dotted from station to station and those who contributed to this huge move into space, when he was a recruit. He hadn’t stayed; he wasn’t even granted access to be on the ship, he had snuck in when it had been docked at a station he was at and from the fifteen minutes of snooping he had done, he had been envious, even more so than he had been before knowing the lavish truth of the wealthy.

 

The company ship he was on now was somewhere in the middle, it wasn’t poor but nor did it have all the fancy gadgets a higher company ship would have.

 

Company ships range, the one he was on was for offense purposes. In other words, he was on a ship built for fighting, a police vessel.

 

Just because they had migrated to space, doesn’t mean everything was peaceful. Some of the planets they dock on and where a majority of mankind live have their own form of life, and while the stations on these docked planets are only big enough to ensure a comfortable life, sometimes threats come when they breach the station’s walls.

 

But in the last six years, some of the stations have been overtaken; the already fragile population of humans dwindling even more.

 

Hearing the morning alert run through the ship, informing the personnel of the updates of Earth life improving in selected places, any news from stations from the two docked planets and the moon, and any announcements for their own ship.

 

Hearing only a reminder for his training exercise, Donghae finishes lacing up his thick boots and grabs his gun, strapping it to his holster as his door clanks open before locking behind him with a hiss.

 

Swapping morning greetings with his fellow officers and a few residents who live within the ship, Donghae arrives to the mess hall where a soft hum of conversation welcomes him.

 

Spying his close friend and fellow officer, Donghae strides towards Hyukjae and thumps him on the back as he collects his food, startling the male.

 

“I thought you weren’t gonna change your hair no more?” Donghae teases, thumbing the deep red lock of hair and getting shoved slightly as Hyukjae moves down the line.

 

“I was sick of the blonde,” Hyukjae sniffs as Donghae accepts his own food, smiling at the timid greeting from the female serving them. “It’s easier to maintain, I don’t have to keep charging it whenever the colour dulls.”

 

Donghae rolls his eyes, biting into the small bread roll as they get their wrists scanned, their credit paying for the meal. “I don’t know why you even bother,” he says around the mouthful as they head for a table. “It’s always a risk.”

 

“Like they will even see the colour from under my helmet,” Hyukjae retorts with a scoff. “Besides, that means I’ll be giving them a chance to inspect me before killing them.”

 

Donghae shakes his head at the male’s ego. “Whatever, man. Your neck at risk.”

 

As they eat, talking about nonsense as per usual, Donghae gazes around the mess hall, watching the small group of medics every police vessel has on board, watching the commander of the ship come and go, making sure all is well on his ship.

 

“We’re docking in a few days, right?” Donghae asks as he and Hyuk leave the mess hall, heading for the training centre down in the depths of the ship.

 

Hyukjae shrugs. “They said that last week as well.”

 

Donghae says nothing, just follows Hyukjae into the lift, the gate closing behind them loudly as Hyukjae presses for the floor they want.

 

His time on this ship hasn’t been a long one, but this will the first time in a year or so at being this close to Earth again, he was eager to dock on the station before Earth so he can satisfy that ache inside him, even if it is just by staring at the faraway planet.

 

“You’ve been to Earth, right?” Donghae asks suddenly, causing Hyukjae to blink at him as the lift jerks a little.

 

“Only once, why?”

 

Donghae shrugs, trying to hide his curiosity. “I just never have. Is it like they say?”

 

“It’s hot,” Hyukjae comments slowly, thinking back. “Zone 3 is what used to be called-”

 

“Mexico,” Donghae cuts in, smiling. “I know the names of the stations, Hyuk.”

 

“Whatever, so yeah, it’s hot....like a sticky heat?” Hyukjae explains, and Donghae’s skin tingles, wondering how it would feel like to experience it himself instead of the cold. “I was only there for two days, collecting cargo for the other stations and making sure no one intervened.”

 

Donghae grimaces at that. The zones on Earth were still trying to find order even now, despite so many years having passed, which meant conflict was always happening.

 

The lift stops and the gates groan open, revealing a few of the recruits already down here practising.

 

Donghae feels a shift inside him, replacing his normal laidback nature and bringing forth his role of an officer as he and Hyukjae head out, the recruits fluttering to bow and greet them.

 

Donghae hadn’t wanted to be a fighter, not when it took his father and brother from him when he was a teenager, but it was a good job, a decent and reliable wage coming in, and since his mother no longer could work on the stations and now lived in one of the housing ships, Donghae had to keep his mother living comfortably.

 

So at the tender age of twenty-eight, Donghae was going through life by the motions, going from mission to the other, never staying in one place long enough to form any romantic relations, and hardly ever seeing his own mother. While the money he deposits into her account at the end of every month isn’t enough to fill in the void she mentions every time they speak, it’s at least something.

 

No, what Donghae had wanted to be, more than anything, was to be an explorer.

 

But to be an explorer is to have very little financial aid or safety, because it is after all, a profession that no one hires, you simply become one. Donghae has seen a few explorer ships in his time, just small ships with the team needed to embark on adventures, but he also has seen the warrant sheets for their arrest. As free as the title sounds, it’s almost illegal to be one, what with all the laws restricting where ships and humans can travel to, and he’s had to arrest a few, the ones trying to get back to Earth.

 

You see, part of the planet is completely closed off completely, forbidden to enter.

 

And that’s because the threat of disease still runs rife, unchecked in the dark part of the planet.

 

Earth only has four zones, four stations where population control is heavily surveillanced as scientists living on Earth and also in space try to find a cure to counteract how Earth’s atmosphere was crippled. Whereas the main problem was battling the savage strain of Ebola that still to this day is hard to find a cure due to it mutating, though reports have shown a slight decline in infected, the other is the actual living condition on Earth due to the last world war that decimated most of the planet. Most of the sea is now too radioactive to use that scientists no longer have tried to find out the damage done to the creatures of the sea, lands destroyed by nuclear warfare which in turn had destroyed countries, killing thousands, all of this had prompted salvation in the form of living in space until living conditions could be returned back to a normal state.

 

This is why, in the worst parts of the planet, they closed it off, forbidding access due to the atmosphere being unknown due to them abandoning testing.

 

So Donghae could see the appeal Earth had for explorers, risking their necks trying to sneak into the atmosphere and land in the forgotten plains of the planet, to see what they could find that scientists had gave up on.

 

He could feel the appeal too, but he had a job to do, lives to protect.

 

Straightening, Donghae and Hyukjae went their separate ways, their morning tasks waiting for them.

 

Being an explorer is nothing more than a mere fantasy, and Donghae lived in reality.

 

 

 

 

 

To his surprise, as well as Hyukjae’s, they do dock.

 

Saying goodbye to the recruits they had been training during the duration of their trip to the station located just on Earth’s doorstep, Donghae watched as the commanders came and escorted the separated groups, leading them off to their respected duties.

 

“You coming?” Hyukjae asks, his duffle slung over his shoulder. After every job, they would meet with the resident chief commander to be given their new jobs whilst here or if their own boss from the main docking station wanted them to be sent back promptly.

 

Donghae nods for him to go ahead. “I need to pack still.”

 

Hyukjae tuts with a roll of his eyes but descends down the ramp of the ship. “I’ll catch you later then!”

 

Donghae waits until the last of the ship’s occupants have left to cater to their own needs in the small docking city, before he heads back inside to pack. As he packs, he stills, catching sight of Earth’s darkest side from his window. Being this close, Donghae’s chest tightens harsher, his heart skittering as he touches the window with the ache.

 

It’s funny how you can long for something you have never had the chance to experience.

 

Forcing himself to stop it and reign in control over his emotions and thoughts, Donghae zips up his black duffle bag, slings it over his shoulder, and leaves without looking back at the planet.

 

 

 

 

 

With so many docking stations and small cities they’ve accumulated during their time in space, Donghae always finds that they tend to be similar, even on the planets that liked to try and push them out, but the bubbles of genius engineering and knowledge meant that even on the most stubborn planets, humankind could live in those contained cities, working in their own bubble almost.

 

Donghae’s least favourite was the ice planet, where life there was harsh, but those who have roots in working in harsher climates back on Earth had been carried on still, allowing the present population on the planet to work as if they still would in the coldest parts of Earth. Space is cold, but being docked on this planet’s station was always a nightmare for Donghae.

 

Looking around the merchants selling their wares, Donghae felt a pang inside him at seeing how forgotten cultures have become nothing more than memorabilia that people sell to make ends meet, no longer needing such objects with the way technology is now.

 

Swallowing, Donghae stopped in front of a stall, a finger brushing over the characters of a language he only ever hears on his home ship where his mother and a few other families still speak the tongue, that including Hyukjae as well.

 

“That is Hangeul, sir,” the young merchant informs him politely, mistaking Donghae’s longing for curiosity. “The Korean writing system.”

 

 It was just a slab of aged oak with the word ‘home’ carved into it, as if it was made to be a garden ornament when gardens used to be something free and not a privilege.

 

Picking it up and feeling the weight of it, Donghae asked without looking up, “how much?”

 

Being told the price, Donghae nods and holds out his wrist for the merchant to scan the chip imbedded into his skin, taking the credit from out of his account.

 

As the merchant thanks him for his purchase, Donghae bows his head a little, his own heritage and teachings still with him now even though he no longer lives with his mother.

 

With the way life is now, with a new aged culture where everything is centred on simplicity and dealing with the remnants of a time left behind, Donghae had vowed never to lose his own, to never allow his family’s history to become just that, history.

 

‘Race’ is no longer an issue has it had been back on Earth, something Donghae can’t quite believe was an issue, because that word has an entirely different meaning now. Colours of people’s skin no longer mattered, nor did it matter just where your heritage lies and what colours the blood inside you, humans were one, a struggling species trying to stay alive.

 

The only race that is most concerned about is the one humankind stumbled on accidently.

 

The Alien race.

 

Way before Donghae was born, the existence of aliens was often debated and rejected, but when the time came for humans to flee and find a new home somewhere in space, they had soon found out that what they believed to be rumours and speculations was actually true.

 

Donghae snorts softly to himself when he spies an aged poster with a monstrous form on it that Donghae assumes to be a portrayal of an alien.

 

People back then had been....creative with how they assumed an alien would look like, and while Donghae knows that aliens are more than capable of changing into terrifying forms when threatened or at will, the alien race is something just a tad disappointing in terms of its natural look.

 

Donghae stiffens, instinct flaring as a person slips past him, its magical aura causing his skin to tingle.

 

Glancing over his shoulder to regard the person, Donghae sees the glamour the alien is using to blend in with the other humans to appear human as well. While some aliens will use their abilities to not draw attention to themselves out of pure generosity, there are others who still detest the idea of sharing their planet and existence with humankind.

 

The hurried treaty that had been drafted up all those years ago to allow for a somewhat peaceful existence between the two races whilst humankind tried to get their shit together to go back home, only a few of the planets they had access to welcomed them nicely.

 

The planets where stations die or have the most trouble are the planets where alien populations refuse to share, refuse to coexist. And while humankind has weaponry that has come a long long way since its time on Earth, they are not equipped, nor will they ever be due to their fragility, to go to war with the alien race. All they can do is fight against the aggression until alien authorities are brought in to deal with their own.

 

Donghae had been offered a job role as an alien enforcer, to fight against those who cause trouble on treaty-protected land and docking stations and cities. He had declined.

 

Buying a soft silk material used for crafting, Donghae wraps the wood with it before placing it into his duffel bag at the bottom to ensure it won’t break.

 

His mother will love the reminder of their Korean roots.

 

 

 

 

 

Donghae almost dropped his glass of water, staring at the commander. “What?” he repeats more loudly, staring at him in shock.

 

Beside the bulky commander was an official looking male, his suit straight and stiff looking, a sight better compared to Donghae and Hyukjae who only wore their casual officer attire which consisted of a dark navy t-shirt (that was a tad too tight on Donghae due to him working out over the past month) that scratched his skin and was tucked into black slack-looking trousers, only with the flexibility to allow them to move quick without fear of shredding a seam.

 

Hyukjae is gawking as well, so Donghae _had_ heard right.

 

“Both of you have remarkable results during your time of service,” says the official male, his tone impersonal. “You both have showed you are more than capable of being in situations of abnormality and dealing with high tensions of aggression.”

 

Donghae shifts slightly, uncomfortable. He hates it when his superiors talk about his work.

 

“With all due respect, sir, we’re just doing our job,” Donghae cuts in before the male can say anything else.

 

“Which is why I’ve been asked to select you two to join the fleet departing tonight,” the male says, not acknowledging Donghae’s interruption. “If you choose to accept, of course.”

 

“Do we have a choice?” Hyukjae asks, tone light, but still their commander sends them a slight warning look.

 

“I would rather question why you wouldn’t want this job,” the male answers, causing Donghae to grit his teeth slightly at the male’s tone. “This job will be your most high classed to date.”

 

He detests officials and their pompous attitudes.

 

“You haven’t told us the job nor the location we’ll be guarding,” Donghae says as he meets the male’s eyes.

 

“That is highly classified.”

 

Donghae feels irritation sharpen his gaze on the male. “I do not go into a job with my eyes covered, sir.”

 

“Donghae...” the commander warns, quietly, and Donghae’s skin tightens at the authority the male has over him.

 

Donghae drops his gaze, mouth working on biting his tongue.

 

“I can assure that the mission you will be taking on is standard, it’s just the people involve value the utmost security and safety,” the official tells him, tone clipped.

 

Knowing he can’t refuse nor argue any further for information, Donghae agrees to do the job with Hyukjae echoing him.

 

Another con of being an officer, you are a slave to the job and also those higher up than you.

 

“The ship departs at precisely 20:00. If you please stand so we can do the scan procedure...”

 

Donghae and Hyukjae go through the motions of having their identity chips scanned into the official’s database, confirming them and also importing the access they will need to board the ship into their wrists.

 

When the male leaves without another word, along with their chief commander, Hyukjae shares a glance with him.

 

Reading the slight concern in the male’s eyes, Donghae breathes in deeply and nods his head that he’s fine.

 

He’s used to pricks in this line of work.

 

 

 

 

 

“Oh fuck,” Hyukjae breathes out as they walk along the bridge that the ship was hooked to. “We’re working for rich bastards aren’t we?”

 

Eyeing the ship, taking in the expensive body of it and how sleek and small it is compared to the bulkier and rougher looking ships near it, Donghae nods.

 

“You would think they’d use a ship less attention grabbing,” he says as they pause at the entrance door and scanning their wrists to be cleared for entrance.

 

When the entrance opens, Donghae glances down below to watch some of the cargo being taken up the ramp of the ship, and immediately notes the white jackets of researchers.

 

Stepping in after Hyukjae and having the door seal shut behind them, both jump at voice that welcomes them.

 

Looking around, Donghae represses a shudder at seeing no one. “You’re an automated ship,” he states out loud, and Hyukjae’s eyebrows hit his hair line as the ship responds.

 

“You can call me Sleek. That is the name of the ship; the commander and captain are waiting for you in the bridge. If you would follow....”

 

Donghae and Hyukjae follow the ship’s lighting on the floor as it leads them to their destination, and they try not to feel like filth as they walk through the expensive ship.

 

When they arrive at the bridge and greetings are passed, they find out where they’re heading and what they’ll be doing.

 

Donghae nearly falls at the news.

 

“Earth?” He repeats, stunned. “We’re going to Earth?”

 

The captain returns to his workspace as Sleek announces that cargo is secure and all authorised personnel are onboard and accounted for.

 

The commander and they move to brace themselves for takeoff, the ride so much smoother than to what Donghae’s used to.

 

When the noise finally dims and they’re leaving the moon’s atmosphere, the commander waves for them to follow him as the captain and Sleek talk to each other.

 

“As you both were told, this mission is classified,” the male begins as the bridge’s door seals shut behind them as he leads them away. “You two as well as two others and myself will be protecting the researchers as they gather evidence when we touch down on Earth. You will not ask questions, you are here to be shadows, to only show yourselves when need be, am I clear?”

 

Both he and Hyukjae nod, Donghae’s gut twisting at the seriousness in the male’s tone.

 

“You will be briefed again once we enter Earth’s atmosphere, until then, make yourselves acquainted with the other two officers and retire for the evening. Sleek will notify you if anything is needed.”

 

With that, the male abandons them at a junction with a sign saying ‘living quarters and labs and med bay’. 

 

Eyeing the short corridor with two thick imposing doors at the end of it which Donghae assumed was the med bay and labs, Hyukjae leads the way until they find their shared room.

 

Once the door shuts behind them, Hyukjae spins to gawp at him. “We’re going to Earth,” the male rushes out in disbelief.

 

Donghae can only nod, not even accepting it yet.

 

As Hyukjae flounders to himself about returning back to the planet, Donghae dumps his duffle bag onto the top bunk, stilling at seeing Earth out of the window.

 

He’s going to be closer to the planet than he ever had expected, he’s going to actually walk and see the planet instead of watch it from afar.

 

Donghae heaves himself up onto the bunk and tries to repress his glee.

 

He was going back to a home he’s only ever dreamt of seeing in person.

 

 

 

 

 

By the time they entered Earth’s atmosphere and were orbiting to the point of descent, Hyukjae and himself were familiar with the other guards - as they’ve taken to naming themselves, and all four of them shared the same suspicions.

 

The job they were doing was so top secret that they haven’t been pulled yet for entry into the atmosphere. Donghae had even braced himself for it, the ship to alert a warning, but nothing came. It also didn’t help that they were basically ignored by the other personnel, being treated just like the shadows their commander had ordered them to be.

 

Why the secrecy? If research was being started again on parts of Earth left to fend for itself, then surely that is something to be talked about since it shows hope?

 

Donghae doesn’t like the way his gut has tightened with every passing hour they linger as they get closer to their mark.

 

Something didn’t feel right, not one bit.

 

 

 

 

 

Donghae’s stomach was flipping as he felt Earth’s gravity suck them down fast with the captain trying to make the landing smooth, the descent controlled.

 

The ship jerked, the turbulence causing things to rattle in the cargo bay they were belted into.

 

Donghae and his fellow guards, along with the commander, were to enter the location first, to ensure it was safe enough for the researchers to deem the land fit to camp on for the time limit they had.

 

Donghae’s briefing was to be on high alert; the part of Earth they were heading down to was long forgotten, meaning the surviving wildlife would have reclaimed back the land.

 

He and the other four were dressed in their uniforms with added extras. The facemask was the huge extra, the canister of oxygen strapped to his spine ensuring that they won’t be at risk, their hands were gloved in pliable but durable black gloves, any inch of skin that could be exposed to Earth’s air was carefully hidden and covered.

 

Feeling the thick straps crisscrossing his chest, Donghae felt some of the nerves ease as he felt his weapons, counting them as the drop slowed.

 

“We’ll be coming to halt in about two minutes,” their commander’s voice was clear through the earpiece each of them wore. “Get ready.”

 

Donghae started the countdown, his body shifting gear as the familiarity of the situation brought his training forward, bracing him for whatever he is about to face.

 

Hearing the hydraulics hiss as they start to brake before the entire ship jerked abruptly as the captain anchored them to the ground, the ship lowering as the hissing subsided, Donghae and the others got out their rifle and unbuckled with their free hand.

 

Falling into formation, with Donghae behind Hyukjae but flagging his left so they could form an arrowhead formation, they waited for the ship to open the airlock doors.

 

The hiss came and then a gust of strong wind flew into the room as the door slide open, the ramp lowering at the same time. Donghae’s breathing turned quick as he caught sight of trees before their commander was barking out the order to engage in marking the area as secure.

 

Donghae pushed aside his curiosity and got to work.

 

 

 

 

 

Flattening himself against the huge tree, he slowly leaned to the side to peek at the spaceship.

 

Counting the heads of security that patrolled the perimeter the other humans were working in, their white lab coats giving their identity and purpose away, he leaned back; satisfied at the number he had counted.

 

Looking back the way he had came, he signalled how many and watched as the other raced silently back, leaving him behind to monitor.

 

Shifting, he silently began to climb the tree, his frame growing smaller, less noticeable than before.

 

Perched on a thin branch that will be overlooked, he waited, watching.

 

Humans weren’t meant to be on this side of the planet.

 

No one was.

 

Feeling his eyes narrow at the pathetic species that ruined their own home, he bottled the growing indignation and forced himself to pay attention, to track and record their behaviour.

 

Hearing them speak, he tuned his hearing to pick up the small drabs of talk below, easily understanding the English due to the catalogue of languages he has acquired in his lifespan.

 

“Levels of radiation aren’t high as we had expected,” one of the researchers noted, another writing it down as the human continued to test the earth. “More evidence to show of their presence.”

 

His gaze hardened on the humans, a sour taste flooding his mouth.

 

“Any tracks?” the female asks another, who shakes his head.

 

“I need to go further into the forest.”

 

The female shakes her head sharply. “We can’t linger nor go further. We need to gather evidence and leave before-”

 

Hearing the sound of loud rustling come from the right of the forest, he glanced over in the direction, senses alert as the security zeroed in on the disturbance.

 

Catching the scent of the animal, he hissed and launched himself from his branch and onto the other neighbouring trees, needing to get to the animal before it got itself killed.

 

Before the huge bear could get any closer, he dropped onto the bear’s back, his small form already shifting as he curbed the animal to halt, silencing it with his power as he took control of it.

 

Hearing the security bark out orders to search, he channelled his energy into getting the bear to run away, and when they were a distance away, he withdrew his power and immediately launched off the animal as it confusedly swiped at the presence on its back.

 

Landing softly on his feet, he locked gazes with the bear, and channelled for it to hunt elsewhere for a little while.

 

The bear snorted, shaking its head, and left.

 

Hearing the voices behind him in the distance, he took off running back, shifting yet again into a different form.

 

This time, he remained on the ground, his long and many legs silent and quick as he crawled over the forest’s floor.

 

Being this small and unnoticeable allowed him to watch the humans more closely, learning them.

 

He doesn’t know how many hours past, but he never leaves, constantly moving with the group, circling them, and listening to every word being said.

 

By the time the researchers call out their time to leave, he knows they’re coming back since they weren’t satisfied with what they had found.

 

More accurately, what they haven’t found.

 

As the last guard headed up the ramp, the ship sealed itself again, but didn’t take off.

 

He waited, but it didn’t leave.

 

Knowing not to shift forms yet, he crept around the ship to inspect the model of it, studying it.

 

When the sound of the breaks hissed, the ship’s engines almost silent, he raced into the cover of greenery to shift forms.

 

Using his hand to peek through the shrubbery as he watched the ship return back to the sky, watching how the silver coating shifted to allow the ship to become the night sky, he had all the evidence he needed.

 

Looks like humankind didn’t lose their need to backstab.

 

“They shouldn’t be here.”

 

Looking behind him at the approach of a fellow brother, Kyuhyun nods, eyes locked on the exit point in the sky.

 

“No. They shouldn’t.”

 

 

 

 

 

Donghae couldn’t sleep.

 

He had been on Earth for seven hours, seven hours to scour the scenery, to revel in the silence of Mother Nature nurturing her land again.

 

He had ached to know how it smelt, how the air would feel, but the researchers weren’t sure of the atmosphere yet, and even though he had listened to them speak, he didn’t understand the language they used as they worked.

 

But he does have a feeling they’re not really impressed with their findings, which is astonishing since Donghae had been led to believe parts of Earth like this couldn’t exist no more.

 

Come the morning, they were briefed about the re-entry and the search being extended further, meaning Donghae was about to become up close and personal with Mother Nature.

 

When they came back down to Earth this time, they were in a different part of the forest, the researchers wanted to test the water, and according to the landscape map, there was one not that far from where they had docked yesterday.

 

It took Donghae and the others longer this time to secure the perimeter, and he could see the unease in the other two from where he was stationed.

 

Hyukjae was silent and on alert, his focus never once wavering as he shadowed the researchers. The commander hadn’t joined them yet, needing to discuss something with the captain, so it was just them four looking after the group of researchers.

 

As the hour ticked by, watching as researchers captured and took specimens of life back onto the ship before returning, Donghae wondered why they even needed security.

 

Apart from the sound of an animal moving yesterday, nothing else has happened.

 

Automatically reaching out to catch the small female who had been near him to pick some of the plant life, he righted her and followed her and the other two as they headed closer to the body of water some of the researchers were at.

 

Staying within sight, Donghae sighed, his back aching slightly due to the oxygen canister, his skin feeling tight due to being so covered and starting to feel hot, which was an amazing feeling.

 

Rolling his shoulders to relieve some of the ache, he stiffened at hearing something behind him.

 

Turning sharply, eyes searching, Donghae raised his rifle, the thin red light bouncing off trees as he slowly checks the area.

 

 

 

 

 

Breathing quick, Kyuhyun swallowed as he shifted forms to lessen the chance of being seen by the guard.

 

Now much smaller, Kyuhyun crept around the tree he had been hiding against and studied the human male.

 

The mask he wore was ridiculous and even Kyuhyun felt suffocated by looking at it. Creeping closer, taking care to be silent this time, he needed to see the type of weapons the guards were using, to finalize the growing evidence he’s collected.

 

Under the law made, humans weren’t to be armed with weapons aimed to destroy Kyuhyun’s kind.

 

The rifle was chunky, but powerful looking. Kyuhyun couldn’t make out if it was laser powered or a pulse rifle, the handheld guns strapped to the male’s hip and lower spine were standard so they weren’t threatening.

 

The sleek looking sheathed knife strapped to the male’s right thigh was unexpected, and Kyuhyun knew only the male carried it. He assumed it was a knife, it could be something else humankind have cooked up to arm themselves.

 

The male’s protective gear was only the chest protector, which made Kyuhyun once again doubt the intelligence of humans. They were easy to break and yet they only armed their guards with a vest protector? Pathetic. Kyuhyun eyes the gloves, but dismisses them.

 

So far, the only real threat was that rifle.

 

Job done to the best he can do it, Kyuhyun moves to leave.

 

And immediately comes face to face with a prowling canine, hunger glazing its eyes as it mistakes Kyuhyun for food.

 

In which case he was, really, considering he had been posed as a wild rabbit.

 

Trying to worm his power into the canine before it can blow his cover, the canine growls, refusing to bend to his will, and Kyuhyun hears the cock of the rifle behind him.

 

As the bushes come alive with the sound of snarling and a blast of power from the rifle, Kyuhyun races to hide before the other humans can react.

 

Voices ring around area as orders are barked and the canine moves to attack the humans now its realised it has a bigger meal to take a chance at, and Kyuhyun flees into a shrub of plants right next to the river, panting.

 

As he tries to shift into another form, mind thinking frantically, he hears something overhead of him.

 

Looking up, Kyuhyun’s heart lurches up into his throat as a human hand grabs him by the scruff of the neck.

 

Body turning limp with fear, Kyuhyun tries to not panic and remains in his current form as a rabbit as the human rakes its eyes over him, inspecting him.

 

Kyuhyun tries to will his power into the human, willing it to turn a blind eye and let him go.

 

The human grins, and Kyuhyun starts to fear for his life.

 

“I think you’re coming with us,” the human leers, gaze knowing, and Kyuhyun knows he’s fucked.

 

So he fights, refusing to be taken willingly.

 

 

 

 

Hearing one of the researchers scream in pain, Donghae whirls around as the canine drops dead to see...

 

Donghae freezes, blinking.

 

“What the....” he says as he watches the scene, unable to move from shock.

 

As the researcher flings the rabbit, his gloved hands shredded and showing skin and blood, Donghae’s eye widen in horror as the poor animal falls into the water.

 

“Get it!” the researcher barks out as he tries to cover the wounds. “It’s one of them!”

 

Donghae races to stop them, they don’t know what the water is like, but another piercing scream comes from the group as they hastily back away, one holding their head, eyes screwed shut in pain.

 

Donghae and the others shove past just as the researcher who had the rabbit dives into the water, wounds forgotten as he shouts for a box to be brought.

 

Donghae and Hyukjae yank him out of the possible radioactive water and are shoved away as the researcher yanks the plastic box from a fellow researcher and shoves something inside it.

 

Donghae blinks at seeing the soaking rabbit, sees a bit of red mingling with the drops of water on the clear plastic.

 

“We’re leaving,” the male orders, the others rushing to obey, leaving Donghae and the other guards hurrying to help due to the male’s urgency.

 

When the door seals shut behind them, Sleek notifying them of liftoff, Donghae barely has the chance to grab something before they’re shooting up.

 

But he watches the researcher, watches how the old male grins to himself as he holds the plastic box tightly.

 

Donghae is so confused, it’s just a rabbit, before that a wild and very overgrown dog had tried to attack them, so why was he so interested in a tiny defenceless rabbit?

 

As the flight levels out, Sleek announcing they’re in Earth’s orbit again, Donghae doesn’t get any answers as all researchers flood from the cargo bay, a hint of excitement in the air being left behind.

 

Donghae yanks his mask off, the others doing the same.

 

“What the fuck is going on?!” One of them barks.

 

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun keeps his eyes shut, trying to keep himself calm.

 

He needed to, he can’t shift forms now.

 

The tapping against his cage, the plastic box with only a hole hooked up to an oxygen tank, alerted him to the researchers trying to break him.

 

He would rather die than allow them to test and poke him.

 

But dying wasn’t an option, he needed to get back to his home, he needed to alert his brothers, their leader of humankind’s betrayal.

 

Ever since humankind fled their own home and invaded Kyuhyun’s kind, laws went in with the treaty of peace between the two races. The first being that humankind shall never harm an alien without authorised clearance from an alien officer, and the second being that humankind is never to touch an alien with the purpose of researching them.

 

And here they were, waiting to study him, to truly find out the extent of the alien race.

 

Well, Kyuhyun wasn’t going to feed their curiosity. He wasn’t going to allow them to know the full truth of his race.

 

They have kept their hunting a secret until now, but Kyuhyun’s leader had already warned their elders yesterday, and if Kyuhyun doesn’t report back soon, who knows how his kind will act.

 

If they can keep secrets, then Kyuhyun can too.

 

 

 

 

 

Donghae finally finds out why everyone was so excited over the rabbit.

 

The news makes him feel a little sick.

 

“It’s an alien?” Hyukjae repeats, and the commander nods. “But....aliens can only glamour themselves or reveal their true forms,” Hyukjae carries on, confused.

 

“The last couple of years, we have had reason to believe there is more to the alien race, different types,” the commander explains, as if reciting it from someone else. “We don’t even know the full extent of our neighbours, yet they know everything about us.”

 

“We’re breaking the law,” another echoes, face pale. “You made this job sound to be a legit government job!” he accuses.

 

“It is,” the commander rebukes harshly. “The objective was to find evidence of them living on Earth, and we found it.”

 

“So?”

 

“Aliens aren’t allowed within Earth.”

 

 _That’s ironic considering we have invaded their homes and forced them to co-exist with us_ , Donghae thinks bitterly, not liking this one little bit.

 

Donghae and Hyukjae end up leaving, not wanting to hear more.

 

Back in their room, Hyukjae chews on his lip. “Do you feel-”

 

“Dirty?” Donghae finishes and Hyukjae lets out a distressed sound.

 

“I don’t...why are they even doing this?” Hyukjae mumbles as he folds himself onto his bunk. “They have done nothing but put up with our kind, yet we’re doing shit like this.”

 

“Humans are selfish, Hyuk,” Donghae mutters as he sits on the floor. “We always have been.”

 

“But what are they even hoping to gain?” Hyukjae ponders. “Going against the treaty will mean war, right?”

 

Donghae shudders at the word. “It would be suicidal if they do that. We’re already in danger enough due to radiation sickness from being in space for so long, as well as the fact soon enough we won’t have the resources to even be in space anymore, we need to work on getting Earth back to being healthy before going to war with anyone.”

 

Hyukjae groans, covering his face. “I hate my job sometimes. I’d rather live without knowing all of this shit.”

 

Donghae couldn’t agree more.

 

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun has been held as a hostage for a full day now, and he was winning in terms of patience.

 

The researchers were growing frustrated with him ignoring them, his eyes shut, his floppy ears lay flat to his head, showing no signs of interest.

 

They weren’t leaving Earth’s shadow anytime soon though, not until they made progress with him.

 

Kyuhyun just had to wait it out a little longer.

 

And then he’ll escape.

 

Drifting off into his thoughts again, the only thing to keep him company, Kyuhyun ignores the slight scraping sound as the box is jostled a little.

 

“-more water,” one of the researchers orders, and Kyuhyun’s attention focuses on the humans again.

 

Opening his eyes to slits so he can peek, Kyuhyun catches movement out of the corner of his eye before his cage is abruptly picked up, causing his nails to dig pathetically against the plastic.

 

Kyuhyun only gets a glance to see where they’re taking him before his cage is being upturned as the lid is yanked off.

 

He only manages to get one lungful of air before cold water suffocates his body.

 

They’ve dumped him into a water tank.

 

Kyuhyun’s instinct takes over before he can stop it, and he hears the excited mutters outside of his tank as they lean in closer to inspect his new body.

 

“Seal the tank,” the main researcher orders, watching Kyuhyun as he swims, avoiding their eyes. “Just in case it decides to shift into an octopus.”

 

Kyuhyun regrets his panicked choice of sea creature at hearing that, the drilling sound vibrating the tank and hurting his hearing.

 

Once the drilling ceases, Kyuhyun turns back around to see them still watching him.

 

Kyuhyun flicks his fishtail at them, eyes piercing at them with hatred.

 

 _Now_ he’s fucked.

 

 

 

 

 

Donghae eyes the group over his dinner, suspicious.

 

The researchers have been excited all morning, completely different to how they’ve been throughout the time on the ship.

 

It’s pretty obvious they’ve done something with the...alien.

 

Donghae’s gut clenches and he stabs the oat mess in his dish with his spoon, appetite gone.

 

How can they be this happy knowing they could be on the verge of starting a war?

 

Jumping at the call of his name, Donghae looks up from his meal to blink up at the head researcher.

 

“Yes?” He asks hesitantly, skin crawling a little from the clinical smell from the male.

 

“Could you and your fellow officer help move some of the research? You two are pure muscle and we’re sadly not,” the older male jokes, and Donghae forces himself to laugh a little as he consents.

 

Ignoring the male telling Donghae to finish eating, he shakes his head and informs him that he and Hyukjae will be waiting outside the labs for them when they’re done.

 

As he leaves, he tracks down his partner to find the male napping on his bunk.

 

Shoving his shoulder, he ignores Hyukjae’s spluttering and tells him, “we’re being used as manual labour now.”

 

Hyukjae stares up at him, dazed. “Huh?”

 

Donghae nods to their door. “The researchers have asked for some assistance in the labs, come on and get up.”

 

“Wait, we’re being granted access?” Hyukjae asks fast as he follows after Donghae.

 

“Only because they need stuff shifting,” Donghae mutters as they slowly walk down the corridor. “I don’t think I even want to see what they’re doing to the alien behind these doors.”

 

Hyukjae shudders at his murmured words. “Do you think we’ll even see where they’re keeping it?”

 

Donghae straightens, catching the sound of distant voices. “We’re about to see.”

 

 

 

 

 

Butting the top of his watery prison again, Kyuhyun huffs, bubbles leaving his mouth as he fails to find a weakness with the lid.

 

Swimming back down, Kyuhyun was fast running out of ideas on how to escape.

 

If he could just have a slither of a crack, he could shift into a spider or something and hide until they would be forced to land either back on Earth to capture another alien or dock on the station on the moon.

 

In which he would escape and alert his kind’s authorities, bringing down a rain of hell in the process.

 

Swimming backwards and forwards in the small tank that was clear on all sides with nothing inside it to keep him at least interested in, Kyuhyun decides it’s time for a change of bodies.

 

As he swims, thinking about what to shift into, he hears the sound a door opening but pays no attention to it.

 

He could shift into a crab; it would give him great pleasure to snip at their fingers, slicing them.

 

Tail swishing more from the thrill of revenge, Kyuhyun pictures the creature and feels his body shift into the body of a rather large crab.

 

He hears something drop and looks out of his tank to see the guard who had almost shot him on Earth staring at him in shock.

 

Or horror, Kyuhyun couldn’t exactly tell.

 

As they stare at each other, Kyuhyun moves his pincer and bangs on the glass tank, startling the human.

 

If he could have, he would have rolled his eyes at the gobsmacked look on the guard’s face.

 

 _What an idiotic race,_ he thinks to himself as he watches as another guard pokes his head into the room Kyuhyun was in.

 

“What are you doing?” the male snaps, and Kyuhyun adjusts his hearing to pick it up through the water. “You’re meant to be shifting stuff not gawking at sea creatures.”

 

“It’s the alien.”

 

Kyuhyun’s pincers clack together at the human’s words, indignation rolling off him in waves as he bangs on the glass again.

 

The other guard hurries into the room, door shutting slightly but not fully. “How-”

 

“Because I just seen it change from being a fish to a crab, that’s how I know,” the guard hisses and Kyuhyun stiffens as the male slowly approaches him. “It was a rabbit the last time I saw it.”

 

Kyuhyun sees his possible chance of escape and eagerly waits for the human to come closer, forcing his slightly drained body to gather some energy to manipulate the human into releasing him.

 

The human stops, bending slightly to peer into Kyuhyun’s tank from his distance. “Wonder why it just doesn’t break free from that.”

 

Kyuhyun stops the gathering and stares at human in astonishment. Why hadn’t he thought of that?

 

_Okay so not all humans are idiots._

Gathering both of his thick pincers, Kyuhyun begins to smack against the glass, trying to break it.

 

With every sharp thud and little give, the harder Kyuhyun hit the stupid glass until he got so narked with the whole situation that he had a mini meltdown in the form of a crab smacking every single part of the glass tank.

 

He couldn’t blame the two humans watching him with wide eyes, he must look demented.

 

Sagging in defeat since the glass was just too thick for him to break himself, he gave the glass one last smack before giving up.

 

“We need to hurry,” the guard who has joined them muttered after a few seconds of silence. “They’re going to be back soon.”

 

Kyuhyun watched as the male hurried back out of the room, leaving just Kyuhyun and the guard who had shot at him. As the male comes closer, Kyuhyun’s hopes plummet as he realises his mini meltdown has caused him to exhaust his last remaining energy, so he can’t even wrap his minor mind control power around the human’s mind.

 

Kyuhyun would have cried if a crab was capable of doing so.

 

He still tries, but he can feel the vines of power too weak to make it.

 

The human doesn’t even say anything to him, just stares at him.

 

Kyuhyun has had enough of humans staring at him for one day and diverts his gaze elsewhere to block the male out as he debates with himself to use the remaining of his energy to shift to a more comfortable body.

 

The guard leaves soon after, leaving Kyuhyun alone once again.

 

He ends up shifting back to a smaller fish than before, and blocks out the rest of the day by recuperating his energy.

 

 

 

 

 

Donghae couldn’t get the alien from out of his thoughts.

 

It was obvious they were using the small water tank as a means to keep the alien from shifting into a more threatening form, the labs not equipped to hold a living captive, but they were equipped with testing equipment.

 

So while they couldn’t house the alien in a humane way, they could test it. Lovely.

 

Donghae had heard the announcement that the ship was leaving Earth’s orbit soon now that researchers have finally confirmed to have what they had been hoping to capture.

 

But Donghae felt that once they moved away from Earth, there will be no going back.

 

Their move will be the first move to tip the balance of starting a war with the alien race.

 

All night Donghae had struggled with his thoughts, to find a solution, to see the logic behind the whole thing, and how the alien must be feeling right now.

 

That moment of seeing it losing control inside the tank had made him feel uncomfortable in the way that he felt helpless to comfort it or help.

 

Hyukjae had felt the same, but the male was a slave to his job, he wouldn’t deviate from his role of being a shadow and he won’t ask questions he knows he has no clearance to ask.

 

Donghae couldn’t live like that, not whilst knowing another living creature was suffering down the corridor from him.

 

It had come as a shock when he realised just how okay he felt with his plan, his new mission.

 

He didn’t see why the rest of them should suffer years of pain and loss only because someone got curious about how the alien race works and forced them to go to war to pay the price of that curiosity, it was unfair.

 

Which explained his current location where the emergency podships were situated. Having studied and taken note how to activate one without Sleek doing it automatically, Donghae went back to his room to tell Hyukjae his plan.

 

He needed someone to distract attention whilst he freed the alien, because this was his job as an officer after all, to ensure his people were safe, and if it meant releasing the alien and condemning himself to punishment, than it will be enough to give the alien time to get back to Earth and hide once again.

 

It will only delay their curiosity, but it would be enough for now.

 

 

 

 

 

Having rested, Kyuhyun could feel his energy levels slowly rising, but since they haven’t made an attempt to feed him (have they forgotten aliens need to eat as well to survive) he felt sluggish and slightly weak.

 

Which was why he was resting on the floor of the tank, his little fins only moving to keep him steady as he listened to the researchers work on the other things they’ve taken from Earth.

 

Being a fish was boring, especially when you’re stuffed into a small tank with nothing to interact with.

 

He started to count the tiles on the lab’s wall, biding his time until they come back to him again.

 

When they left for late lunch, Kyuhyun was slowly doing rolls in the tank and testing to see how fast he can swim, trying to amuse himself.

 

After his twelfth lap, the sound of the door opening caught his attention but not enough for him to stop racing himself, trying to beat his previous time.

 

When he caught sight of the guard from yesterday standing over his tank, Kyuhyun almost smacked into the wall of it as he tried to brake.

 

Watching the human study the lid of the tank, Kyuhyun glanced at the door to see that it was shut properly. Glancing back at the human and swimming up to study the human closely as his fingers traced the rim of the sealed lid; Kyuhyun shook his body from side- to-side to show that it was useless.

 

The human caught his action and frowned. “Can you hear me?” he asks voice quiet but clear.

 

Kyuhyun dips up and down slightly to indicate he can.  

 

“Can...can you change into something that is hard to break?”

 

Kyuhyun stares at the human, tail slowing its swishing.

 

 _No way,_ he thinks to himself as hope starts to grow inside him.

 

Swimming down to the bottom, Kyuhyun visions the animal and his body starts to shift again.

 

As he thuds against the bottom, his huge shell weighing him down, Kyuhyun burrows into his shell. He figured being a small turtle will protect him enough. It’ll still hurt if the human is going to do what Kyuhyun thinks he’s going to do, but at least his shell will protect him enough from the glass.

 

Kyuhyun feels the tank shift slightly and pokes his head out slightly to see the guard pushing him, his thoughts being confirmed as the water sloshed and his body rocked as the male shoved the tank.

 

Kyuhyun ducked his head back into his shell just as the tank tipped over the edge and gravity took hold of it.

 

The shattering of the glass jarred him more than the actual fall, and then his body smacked onto the hard floor of the lab as the weight of water and more glass fell on him.

 

Kyuhyun waited, suspicious if the human was truly going to help him or hurt him now, before he poked his head out and saw the male rushing to move the broken shards of glass out of harm’s way from him.

 

“We haven’t got long; I need to get you to the podship so I can release you-”

 

Kyuhyun shifted back into his actual body before the human could even finish his sentence.

 

The human stumbled back, caught off guard as Kyuhyun hissed as the glass dug into his pale skin, causing welts of bright red blood to ooze from the cuts as he shakily stands.

 

“I will thank you later but right now I need to get back to Earth,” Kyuhyun hisses out, the English feeling strange on his tongue as he moves for the door.

 

The guard grabs his wrist and Kyuhyun jerks back as the male hisses in pain, Kyuhyun’s skin giving off a static shock due to being caught off guard. “Do not touch me,” Kyuhyun warns harshly, and the male nods, shaking his hand.

 

“I can help you escape,” the male says as he moves to get between Kyuhyun and the door. “We only have a few minutes before they’re due back from lunch; I just need you to change-”

 

Kyuhyun cut the male off, his power able to take a hold of him now he wasn’t using another body. “You will lead me to the bridge and you will stop anyone from touching me, understood?”

 

The human’s blank eyes stare back at him as he nods.

 

Kyuhyun stands back as the human does as he’s instructed.

 

He will show humans just how terrifying aliens can be when wronged.

 

Thinking of the other guard he had seen, Kyuhyun uses the male’s features as a glamour as the human leads him from the room, and Kyuhyun tries to match his gait to how the human is carrying himself.

 

But when they round the corner, the ship speaks, reminding Kyuhyun of the ship’s model.

 

Already feeling the pull on his depleted energy as they approach the bridge’s door and the human asks for entrance, Kyuhyun forces himself to keep it going, almost close to his objective.

 

“Donghae?” The captain greets, confused, before his eyes catch Kyuhyun. “Hyukjae? Didn’t I just see you-”

 

“Silence him,” Kyuhyun orders as he strides past, his glamour breaking and the captain’s expression morphs into horror as Donghae silently moves to stop the male from leaving, a hand smacked over the male’s mouth to prevent his shouts for help.

 

“Sleek, shift from automatic to manual use,” Kyuhyun orders in the captain’s voice, his glamour skills helping to gain control of the ship as Sleek does as requested as he sits in the seat to control the ship.

 

Hearing a grunt and a thump, Kyuhyun glances over his shoulder to see the captain’s unconscious body on the floor with the guard staring at the door, Kyuhyun orders for Sleek to go to sleep for a little bit as he yanks the ship off course.

 

Alarms blare instantly, but Sleek’s voice never once comes back as Kyuhyun plummets the ship to a harsh left, his target clear as he locks some of the controls before racing from the seat and ordering the human to take him to the emergency podships.

 

Holding onto the sides of the walls as the ship falls faster, being sucked back into Earth’s atmosphere, Kyuhyun has to grab onto the human’s sleeve to anchor him to him.

 

Seeing the podships, Kyuhyun orders for the male to unlock one, and as the human goes to do it, another human comes running round the corner.

 

Kyuhyun meets the male’s eyes as he comes to an abrupt stop and Kyuhyun works to keep his glamour in check.

 

“Hyuk? Weren’t you just behind-”

 

The hiss of the one of podship’s opening has Kyuhyun looking back as the human moves aside for him, his movement’s stiff.

 

The sound of a gun charging is enough warning as Kyuhyun avoids the pulse charge aimed at him, but he feels the hot burn of it skim over his shoulder and his power over the human breaks as his glamour shatters from fright and pain.

 

Stumbling as the ship rocks, Kyuhyun catches himself as shouts erupt and he’s being jostled again as another pulse charge is left off.

 

Disorientated, Kyuhyun sees the human he had used as a glamour hurry over to them, and it’s then that Kyuhyun realises he’s being covered by the human who he had been controlling.

 

“We need to hurry!” The other human snaps as he yanks the other human up. “We’re going to make contact soon with the rate we’re falling!”

 

Kyuhyun is grabbed again, the human hissing again from pain, as he’s shoved roughly into the small podship.

 

As the pod door shuts, silencing the alarms blaring in the ship, Kyuhyun gets his act together and hurries to release them from the ship whilst inputting the coordinates for where he wants to them to aim for.

 

“You said you it was going to be a quiet escape!” the male rebukes and Kyuhyun jerks as the podship moves, stumbling into the seat of controls.

 

“We’ll settle this if we make it out alive!” Kyuhyun’s guard shouts as the podship is ejected, leaving the ship and also falling fast before Kyuhyun can get control of the descent.

 

All three of them grunt as the ride levels out, things jerking behind him as he flies the ship away from the other, heading away from the dull blue of the ocean.

 

“Will they crash?!” The guard demands as he comes beside Kyuhyun, towering over him. “Why wouldn’t you just let me-”

 

“The ship will take control again before they can crash,” Kyuhyun shuts the male up, his voice tight. “I only wanted to scare them, not kill them.”

 

The human sags against the console, his gaze hard on Kyuhyun.

 

“Donghae...” the male behind says quietly, and Kyuhyun glances at the human beside him, putting the name to a face.

 

Donghae has blood on his face.

 

“How did you get hurt?” Kyuhyun demands, rising from his seat before being pushed down by the human who ignores the static shock coming off Kyuhyun’s skin at the contact.

 

“You are the only one who seems to know how to fly, so do it,” the human orders, tone thick, hands retreating. “We’ll settle this once we land.”

 

The podship dips and Kyuhyun hastily regains control of the flight as he sees that the podship has directed them close to his targeted area.

 

He hadn’t meant to even bring one human with him, never mind two, and as he prepares the ship for the descent the longer they fly, he could feel his body growing weaker now that the threat wasn’t so high.

 

It took all of his strength, but it wasn’t enough as they landed harshly a few miles out of his target zone.

 

But when the humans start to demand questions after the bumpy landing with a few alarms sounding a little over their voices, Kyuhyun slumps in his seat, vision flirting with black as he desperately fights against it.

 

A hand touches him, and he loses consciousness.

 

 

 

 

 

“How the fuck do we get out of this mess?!” Hyukjae stresses, pacing outside of the podship.

 

Donghae’s head is killing him, the bump he had somehow gotten on the ship making his head throb with a dull ache.

 

“We just need to wake him up,” Donghae sighs, pulling at his uniform due to the humidity. They looked to be in the same area as they had docked yesterday, but Donghae couldn’t be sure about that.

 

As Hyukjae scoffs, Donghae glances over his shoulder at the alien on the floor of the podship. They had almost dropped him due to the shock of contacting his skin, the clothing the alien was wearing very little for them to use as a block.

 

Turning to look at the alien fully, Donghae was slightly awed at the male’s appearance. He’s only ever seen aliens use their glamour, making people see what they want to see, so to see this was a jolt to the system.

 

The male’s skin was pale with a slight subtle hint of a blue hue to it, nothing too in your face, but it made his skin look slightly ill because of the shadows of the podship. Donghae thinks back to that moment in the lab when the alien had shifted from a small turtle to a fully grown young man. In the sharp lighting of the labs, the male’s skin almost shimmered; the paleness exaggerated, his hair a jet black and slightly long, causing it to jump out against his skin.

 

Donghae just couldn’t get over how....human he looked, he had expected them to be hiding a third eye or something, but so far the alien’s features looked the same as a human’s.

 

“Do you think he was telling the truth?” Hyukjae suddenly asks, startling Donghae as he comes to stand on the ramp of the podship with Donghae. “About the ship surviving?”

 

Donghae looks down at the alien. “I...dunno.”

 

Hyukjae sighs, shifting slightly. “We’re so fucked.”

 

Donghae can’t help but agree. They had no masks, no protective gear, and only the weapons they had on themselves and the rifle stored in the podship’s survival pocket.

 

“Was it this hot yesterday?” Donghae asks, picking at his top again. “It’s so hot.”

 

“We crashed in the wilderness, of course it’s hot.”

 

Donghae goes to retort, but his ears pick up movement outside, silencing him.

 

Motioning to the alert, Donghae moves to slowly check, easing down from the ramp, the rifle in his hands ready as Hyukjae remained at the top, protecting the unconscious alien.

 

Body ready, senses on high alert, Donghae scanned the area with his eyes, looking for the disturbance, the rifle raised slightly.

 

Hearing something to his right, Donghae glances, but doesn’t physically react as he tracks the sound, and picks up another to his right.

 

Donghae’s finger hovers over the switch to put the red warning light on as his body tenses as the sounds on either side come closer.

 

Ignoring the sounds, Donghae’s finger moves, light on, as he brings the rifle higher as he stares down the length of it. “Don’t move.”

 

The thin red light doesn’t move from his target, despite the sounds on either side of him stilling as he locks gazes with the alien.

 

“I can have you shoot yourself before you can even blink.” The male’s voice carries over to him, a slight roughness to the threat. “Put the weapon down.”

 

Donghae hears Hyukjae click the safety off his gun as the alien approaches them, flanked by two others on either side of him. “We’re not here to fight,” Hyukjae reasons, voice strong. “But we will protect ourselves if you give us a reason to.”

 

Donghae watches the leader, noticing the strange silver patterns on his skin as well as on two of the four males flanking him.

 

 _Must be a rank thing_ , he says to himself as he hears the sound of more approach from the sides, and flicking a glance to either side to count only one male on either side, making it seven aliens in total.

 

“You took one of our own, isn’t that enough reason to fight you?” The leader questions, and Donghae swallows, heart thumping as he tightens his hold on his weapon.

 

“ _We_ didn’t, but we have brought him back,” Donghae stresses his and Hyukjae’s involvement. “We’re officers, we know the law, and we wouldn’t have allowed them to-”

 

“But you still did.”

 

Donghae grinds his teeth, feeling himself grow pissed off but tries to remain calm. “We brought him back as soon as we learned of his identity,” he carries on, eyes steadily locked with the leader’s black ones. “We have not harmed him.”

 

The leader studies them, and Donghae can feel a drop of sweat run from his hair and down the side of his temple as he remains in his position.

 

One second he was looking at the leader, and the next he’s facing Hyukjae whose eyes widen as he trains his gun on Donghae.

 

“Donghae?!”

 

“I do not like human weapons, they are too deadly for us,” the leader’s voice rings around the area as Donghae trains his rifle onto Hyukjae. “So why don’t you just step aside and allow my own to take back what you stole.”

 

“Donghae...” Hyukjae grits out, not wanting to leave his position. “Snap out of it.”

 

As the aliens on either side of them move to approach the ramp, Donghae struggles to get his body to listen to him and not the invisible presence in his head.

 

Before Hyukjae can make a choice, his face tight with it, a sound from the alien inside halts everything.

 

“I...promised,” the male’s weak voice comes from inside and Donghae gasps as he feels his body again.

 

Hyukjae lowers his gun as he slowly moves, allowing them all to see the male clutching at the sides of the podship as he slowly approaches the ramp, wincing at the glare of sunlight.

 

“They helped me,” the alien forces out and Hyukjae goes to steady him but remembers the static shock you get from touching the male. “They’re no threat, Chul.”

 

Donghae lowers his rifle, Hyukjae following, and he hears the sound of the aliens on either side of him back off as Donghae turns at the approach of the other five.

 

Throwing the strap of the rifle over him, Donghae turns his back to the group and helps the weak alien descend the ramp, fighting the wince as he grasps the male’s elbow.

 

The alien tries to shrug him off but he’s too sluggish and accepts his help, Hyukjae flanking them from behind, as he meets the group at the bottom.

 

“He’s not going to last long on his feet,” Donghae warns. “Where-”

 

“Let him go. We can take care of our own,” the leader barks out, face almost twisted as he stares at where Donghae’s hand is.

 

“Chul...” the alien warns, voice surprisingly firm. “Let them help.”

 

The leader snarls at that, the sound so completely unexpected and savage that it shocks him and Hyukjae as the male and alien talk in a language unfamiliar to Donghae.

 

As the argument gets heated, Donghae braces himself for the extra weight as the alien relies on him more and more to hold him up.

 

Eventually, one of the flanking males says something, alerting the leader of the alien’s declining strength, and the leader snaps something and Donghae catches the alien in time as he sags against him.

 

As Donghae shifts the alien so that he’s carrying him, Hyukjae flanks his side, wary as the other four come towards them.

 

“Follow,” is all that’s said as they form a ring around him and Hyuk, and Donghae forces his legs to move, despite the tickle at the back of his neck at having someone unfamiliar being that close behind him.

 

Donghae instead focuses on the alien in his arms, surprised at the lightness to the male’s  frame. He was tall, taller than himself and Hyukjae, and slender too, but not too skinny.

 

 _Probably an alien thing considering they can change bodies,_ he muses as they leave the podship, and heading into the unknown.

 

 

 

 

 

When Kyuhyun regains consciousness, the first thing he notices is that he’s surrounded by water and for one horrifying second he thinks he’s dreamt his escape, but then he feels the coolness, the slight tingles erupting over his skin as the liquid shimmers, and he relaxes.

 

He’s in a Charge Bath.

 

Unfolding from the almost foetal way he was holding himself, he gently knocks on the glass and alerts the fellow alien behind it from his work, the liquid like a soft cushion and keeping him suspended in the thin upright chamber.

 

As the chamber is drained, Kyuhyun lands carefully as it drains, the glass opening once it’s all been drained, leaving just little shimmers at the bottom of the grate.

 

“How long was I immersed for?” he asks as a female approaches him with a robe to dress in until he can go to his living block.

 

“Not long,” the healer on duty tells him with a soft smile. “Only two days this time.”

 

Kyuhyun winces, already picturing the outcome with the humans. “What’s the news on the humans?”

 

“They’re being contained.”

 

Kyuhyun stops rubbing his hair with a towel. “Contained,” he echoes. “Alive?”

 

The healer snorts. “Of course. Do you think Chul would have destroyed them yet without getting the full report from you?”

 

Kyuhyun relaxes. The humans were safe.

 

At least for now.

 

 

 

 

 

Donghae jerks awake to the sound of someone coming down the row of cells, and he nudges Hyukjae awake as well as he claps an eye on the guard who had been watching over them ever since they arrived.

 

“Trial time,” the male grunts out and Donghae’s heart nearly fails at hearing the words.

 

Unable to do anything, he and Hyukjae follow him out; completely vulnerable as their weapons had been discarded the second Donghae had handed over the unconscious alien.

 

Donghae didn’t even know where the hell they were on Earth, mother nature has grown quick in her lonely years, and whilst he knows they’re in what is left of city ruined from war, Donghae just didn’t have the chance to study his surroundings before he and Hyukjae had been rendered unconscious and woke up to their cell.

 

Once they enter a huge room, with sides flanked by seated aliens, he feels Hyukjae shudder beside him and Donghae almost echoes it.

 

They stand before the leader who they had met in the woods, and Donghae tries to keep his form tall and strong. If he’s going to be killed, he’s going to be killed with some sort of pride instead of just accepting it with hunched shoulders.

 

“I think you’re very aware right now that you could very well lose your life in this room,” the male’s voice is loud but controlled so it can be carried through the room.

 

Donghae and Hyukjae remain silent.

 

“Humankind never fails to disappoint. You near enough killed your own planet and now you want to kill your lifeline by going against us,” the alien begins, relaxed in the chair he’s sitting in, it reminds Donghae of the old dramas he would watch as a child where a king or queen would rule over a room. “And while I should kill you and dump your bodies at your idiotic ruler’s door with a declaration of war, you did bring back our brother and he has assured us that you two are no threat.”

 

Donghae raises an eyebrow at the term, wondering if it’s just a term of address used or a legit statement, before catching the last part.

 

“Is he okay?” Donghae asks, breaking their silence.

 

The alien studies him, and he can feel others do the same.

 

“Your charge is not death,” the alien continues, ignoring Donghae’s question and Donghae almost sags with relief. “You will remain here until I have counselled with our own rulers over the situation. You will be guarded until we have full reason to trust you and will live in a containment block for security reasons.”

 

Donghae and Hyukjae turn at the sound of approaching footsteps. “But first we need to remove your identity chips.”

 

Donghae’s anxiety skyrockets immediately at seeing the aliens in medical looking attire come at him and Hyukjae.

 

As Hyukjae makes a move to defend himself, he freezes, and Donghae glances to see a tall well built alien standing behind Hyukjae, his approach having gone unheard.

 

“You can’t just control us willy-nilly!” Donghae snaps at the leader.

 

“Then don’t fight,” the male responds coldly, and Donghae jerks at the touch of one the female alien’s grabbing his wrist, breaking her hold.

 

“If you don’t comply with our ways,” Donghae hisses as a pain hits his body, causing his knees to buckle as two aliens grab him, “then I will kill you.”

 

Donghae feels his body shut down again as he’s controlled as he’s held in a secure lock by the aliens as another comes at him with a scalpel.

 

But before the blade can make contact with his skin, a sharp sound echoes around the room, pausing the mutilation.

 

“You said you wouldn’t harm them!” a familiar voice snaps and Donghae spies the alien he had helped escape storm over to them, pushing the medical aliens aside. “This is enough, Chul; you’ve made your point.”

 

“Hardly, Kyuhyun,” the leader drawls in a bored tone. “We need to destroy the chips before they can be tracked.”

 

“Then do it in the medical block, not as a spectacle piece,” Kyuhyun rebukes, face furious. “By acting like this it makes you no better than those who captured me.”

 

Donghae feels control of his body instantly at that and he braces himself, Hyukjae stumbling as the aliens move away from them.

 

“Fine!” the leader snaps, and a few of the watching aliens make a murmuring sound.

 

It takes Donghae a second for him to realise that they’re _chuckling_.

 

“Just get those chips out of them before we all get captured,” the leader hisses, aggrieved as he stands. “Alright, the show’s over, return to your duties!”

 

Donghae is a little bit stunned as the room’s occupants rise to leave, leaving behind just a few aliens and Kyuhyun.

 

Donghae recognises a Korean name when he hears one, and is surprised to hear it being used for an alien.

 

“Come on, we need to get those things out of your wrist,” Kyuhyun orders, and Donghae’s motioned to follow Kyuhyun’s convoy.

 

 

 

 

 

As the last chip is destroyed, Kyuhyun nods for the medical team to proceed. “We need to see how your bodies have coped with living in space before you can live here,” he explains as twin looks of confusion show. “It’s only a few simple tests, they don’t hurt.”

 

Turning his back, Kyuhyun eyes the two male alien guards. “Heechul wasn’t kidding when he said he wanted them guarded,” he muttered, and one of them snorted softly at hearing it.

 

“Which one of you is guarding the redhead?” He asks as he gathers the robes ready for when the humans undress.

 

Siwon, the thickest one, nods his head, the thick long black dreadlocks only on the top of his head, the sides shaved, not even shifting with the action, the few silver strands intertwined with the black catching the bright light. “Why?”

 

Kyuhyun motions for the other to leave. “You’re no longer needed,” he tells the male and gets an amused look in return.

 

“Heechul gives me orders, not you,” the guard retorts, and Kyuhyun glares at him, ignoring a squeal of surprise coming from one of the humans behind him.

 

“And yet you’re here arguing with me,” Kyuhyun says tightly.

 

“Are you telling me you have clearance to take charge of a possible hostile human?” the male says sarcastically as his eyes rake over Kyuhyun’s underwhelming form. “Heechul would never allow that.”

 

Shoving the robes onto a metal counter, Kyuhyun shoves past them both, leaving the medic block to chase down Heechul as the sound of the guard’s snigger boils his blood.

 

Ignoring the warning that Heechul is in connection with their elders, Kyuhyun barges into the male’s room, causing the older male to sigh, his original reaction dying at seeing it was him.

 

“Kyuhyun, to what do I owe another lovely visit?”

 

Kyuhyun ignores the elder on the screen and folds his arms. “I want Jin gone. I want to be the one guarding the brown haired one.”

 

Heechul mumbles something about teenagers and Kyuhyun grinds his teeth. He is no teenager but a fully grown man, and the male knows it but likes to throw his young age in Kyuhyun’s face.

 

“Jin is trained to be a guard,” Heechul tirelessly explains. “You are not.”

 

“I am the quickest _Variatore_ out of the entire colony,” Kyuhyun reminds. “I can shift a dozen times before he could ever harm someone, which I think he won’t do.”

 

“See what I have to put up with?” Heechul says to the elder, causing the older looking male to shake his head, completely amused.

 

“Kyuhyun, Jin is staying,” Heechul states, and Kyuhyun shakes his head.

 

“That human is my responsibility,” he argues, ignoring the look on the male’s face. “He was the one to help me escape; I should at least protect him whilst he’s here.”

 

“Except you’re missing the fact you aren’t trained to protect someone, Kyuhyun,” Heechul groans out. “You’re an environmentalist; you keep track of how our zones are coping on Earth, not keeping track of a human.”

 

“What’s the difference?” Kyuhyun retorts.

 

“I swear...” Heechul sends a look to their elder before looking back at Kyuhyun’s glaring form. “My answer is no, Kyuhyun. Deal with it.”

 

Before Kyuhyun can even think of arguing, their elder speaks up. “Just let him, Heechul. He’s had the most experience with them, plus he had studied them before his capture. He knows how to handle them and if anything should go wrong, he isn’t totally defensive, the humans are the ones most vulnerable now.”

 

Kyuhyun’s grin is smug as Heechul glowers at him.

 

“You can have your human, but you are prohibited from leaving site until we know what we’re doing with them,” Heechul snaps, and Kyuhyun nods in agreement, it just means he’ll be working via screen links.

 

Kyuhyun leaves the office with a smug look on his face.

 

 

 

 

Donghae’s never felt so clean in his entire life.

 

Hastily dressing in the robe offered to him, Donghae can’t help but stare at his skin on his arm as it shimmers slightly with the lighting. He can hear Hyukjae murmuring something about his hair and glances to see the red twice as vibrant as it was before.

 

He snorts at seeing it, causing Hyukjae to scowl at him as he hides it with a towel.

 

“Both are clear of radiation,” one of the aliens suddenly announces as the doors open, revealing Kyuhyun walking in and he nods at the news. “And the cleansing shower and blood taking has been complete.”

 

“Let me know if they show any signs of having no immunity so we can fix it,” Kyuhyun orders and the female nods before moving away, her job now done.

 

Donghae eyes as the dreadlock alien comes forwards with Kyuhyun, slightly intimidated by the alien’s muscle mass and height despite himself having some muscle of his own.

 

“Do I need to restrain you two or will you behave?” Kyuhyun asks as he folds his arms, studying them.

 

“Like we could even escape if we tried,” Hyukjae comments under his breath and the aliens catch it, causing them to nod at the same time.

 

“Exactly. Now, if you’ll follow me...” Kyuhyun turns to leave and Donghae shoves Hyukjae in front of him so that Donghae’s at the back with the other alien, not trusting the male.

 

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun was surprised either human hadn’t began to ask him questions when he took them through the stone labyrinth the medic block was located in. All of their major stations of research and cataloguing were underground to prevent Earth’s natural forces from interfering. It had been simple enough to build, their own technology and relationship with the elements had made it so that their base of operations could be up and running quick enough in either zones they have across this side of the planet. By using the dilapidated city as a cover as well as the re-growth of nature had also worked to their advantage as they worked.

 

Taking them up to the surface, Kyuhyun stayed back to allow Siwon take the lead as the male leads them to the containment area of their base. The containment blocks have different layouts and settings for a precise purpose, and as they bypass the containment cells that the humans had been in originally, they enter the block that will be Kyuhyun’s residence for the remainder of time the humans will be with them.

 

The humans would have to be surveillanced near enough all the time, to watch for any effects of them living back on Earth presenting and to also to keep an eye on their communication with each other. They were officers, and Kyuhyun knows they’ve been trained to protect themselves, as Siwon had back on their home planet, which left Kyuhyun the one lacking any sort of training and made him the most vulnerable, he had to make sure his charge didn’t try to plan anything to cause conflict during their stay.

 

“You’re stationed around the corner,” Siwon announces, drawing Kyuhyun’s attention as they pause in the corridor, a security personnel watching them from the security room above them. “Do you-”

 

“I am quite capable of unlocking a door, Siwon,” Kyuhyun grinds out, cutting him off as the two humans study them carefully. “I’ll contact you in a little while.”

 

Siwon hides his amusement but Kyuhyun can see it as the male unlocks his living quarter’s door and motions for the redhead to enter first.

 

He doesn’t, instead, both humans round on them. “Why are we being separated?!”

 

 Kyuhyun gives Siwon a look as he nudges with the back of his hand for his charge to move away from them as Siwon tugs his human into the room.

 

The room seals shut on the redhead’s furious spluttering, leaving Kyuhyun to deal with his own confused and slightly pissed human.

 

“It’s protocol,” he states neutrally as he keeps nudging the human away down the corridor and around the corner, nodding in greeting to the other security personnel watching over his assigned area.

 

“We were kept together when we were first brought here so why the separation now?” the male demands as Kyuhyun accesses the room. “We wouldn’t have escaped-”

 

“Enter,” Kyuhyun orders, crossing his arms as he waits for the human to step inside.

 

The human looks like he’s going to defy Kyuhyun, his expression tight, and Kyuhyun is yet again reminded of his lacking skills in dealing with situations like this.

 

Just before he can think of something - no doubt stupid - to deal with it, the human storms past him, and Kyuhyun almost deflates with relief as he follows him, locking the door behind him.

 

As the human stands still, taking in the living arrangements, Kyuhyun moves to the console near the door to make sure it has logged them in and also to check that his connection with Siwon and his own team is linked up and working.

 

“I...so I’m to live here?” the human questions slowly, and Kyuhyun looks over his shoulder to see the human with an awkward expression on his face.

 

Kyuhyun looks at the room, trying to figure out the source of discomfort but all he sees is the decent sized sofa, the regular standard screen for the human to use for entertainment, the door leading to their shared washroom, the small kitchenette area, and then their sleeping area. It was small, but it was a containment block, it wasn’t made to be luxurious.

 

“ _We’re_ living here until you’re cleared,” Kyuhyun states, emphasising his involvement. “If you need anything, I’ll try to get it if it is possible.”

 

The human stares at him. “You’re staying?”

 

Kyuhyun turns his back on the human, wondering if this is going to be a recurring thing with him having to repeat himself a lot.

 

“I’m guarding you, so yes, I will be staying,” he says neutrally as he accepts the security personnel watching over them to monitor them, the small cameras and mics in the room feeding to him and being recorded.

 

 _Standard procedure_ , Kyuhyun had to remind himself, though it made his skin crawl with the fact of having someone watch and listen to him from now on.

 

Shutting the console down, Kyuhyun heads for one of the single beds and sits on it, removing the boots he had on and lying on it.

 

The human watches him, frozen.

 

“Stand there all day if you want, but get over it.” Kyuhyun rebukes, shutting his eyes. “I’m not tiptoeing around you.”

 

Kyuhyun listens, tracking the sounds the human makes as he quietly moves around the room, checking out the washroom and making little sounds of awkwardness as he fills in the silence, before he too retires to his bed.

 

“Can....am I allowed to ask questions?” the human hesitantly asks, and Kyuhyun finds the tone odd.

 

Then he remembers that the human is an officer and is used to following orders instead of thinking for himself.

 

“You can and I’ll answer those I deem acceptable,” Kyuhyun mumbles as he throws an arm over his eyes, the room’s lighting irritating behind his shut eyelids.

 

“Your name,” the human rushes out, as if it has been eating at him. “Why is it an earthen name?”

 

Kyuhyun represses a smile. “Earthen?”

 

“Korean...I...doesn’t your kind have their own naming system?”

 

Kyuhyun moves his arm to peek at the human to find him watching Kyuhyun, his brown eyes fixed on Kyuhyun’s face.

 

Kyuhyun hides his reaction of being studied so fixedly and groans as he sits up, back resting against the pillow and wall. “Some do,” he vaguely assures, meeting the male’s eyes. “But to answer your question why we have taken an earthen name, we’re not ignorant to your dwindling cultures you used to have here on earth, and for our purpose here we took on names to reflect this forgotten country.”

 

The human’s eyes immediately light up, widening slightly as his breathing changes, the air shifting slightly around the human. “Country?” he echoes, and Kyuhyun picks up the edging of hope in the male’s voice.

 

Kyuhyun figures it’s safe enough for him to know, so he reveals it. “Once over this country was called Korea, now it’s nothing but an empty shell of ruins and abandonment, just like the rest of this side of the planet.”

 

Kyuhyun’s thoughts on whether the male was even knowledgeable about his name’s heritage was proven wrong as the human’s eyes well up with tears, his throat working fast to control his emotions.

 

“Donghae, right?” Kyuhyun asks softly, and the human nods in a jerk. “And the other human is called-”

 

“Hyukjae. We both have the same last name as well. Lee,” the human answers, voice filled with strain as he avoids looking at Kyuhyun to look around the windowless room, searching for a glimpse of the country that should have been his home.

 

Silence creeps back over them and Kyuhyun starts to feel awkward, his lack of experience with humans starting to show through his mannerism as Donghae looks down at his hands, the pose so vulnerable like that it makes Kyuhyun uncomfortable to see this human looking so down.

 

“You should be fine here,” he ends up saying, unable to take the silence and the male’s misery.

 

The human glances up at him, confused. 

                                                     

“Korea,” Kyuhyun forces out, forcing his tongue to work properly. “It is one of our most successful zones so you shouldn’t feel unwell during your stay here. The air is clean enough to allow you to breathe unaided,” he explains.

 

“Why are you telling me this?” Donghae demands hesitantly. “Isn’t this top secret information?”

 

Kyuhyun scoffs at that. “No. Your leaders already know of this.”

 

That makes the human revert back to being confused, only this time, twice as much. “Huh?”

 

“We’ve been here for five years now, and within our first year of being on Earth, we had already made a huge improvement to the quality of living here in the zone we had been assigned to, so when we reported it to confirm our method of cleansing worked, we thought your leaders would be ecstatic,” Kyuhyun tells him, tone careful to keep his own personal feelings at bay. “But we didn’t get the response we had hoped.”

 

“What was it?” Donghae asks quietly.

 

“Your leaders evacuated us with brute force.”

 

The officer stares at him. “I-”

 

“Naturally, your leaders decided to keep this hush, promising to see into it themselves with their own scientists. So we let them, we backed off to our own planet but kept an eye on things. When time passed with no sign of them following through with their promise, we came back.”

 

“Without them knowing?” Donghae questions, and Kyuhyun nods. “How?”

 

“Same way you were able to come and go so easily,” Kyuhyun answers simply. “Hacking.”

 

Donghae blanches at that. Apparently the male hadn’t known what Sleek was capable of.

 

“It also helps that our technology is a lot different to humankind, it explains how we’ve managed to live here for so long without being caught or dropping down dead,” Kyuhyun adds. “And it’s also the reason why aliens are starting to be hunted.”

 

“Because there are different types?” Donghae says, and at Kyuhyun’s cold stare, he hurries on, “the commander said something about that.”

 

“Like what?” Kyuhyun says, tone dropping.

 

“The researchers believe that it isn’t fair that you know so much about us when we know nothing about you. They think.....know....that there are different types within your race.”

 

“So they’re more interested in picking us apart than improving their planet to move back home,” Kyuhyun says, disgusted.

 

Donghae shifts, uncomfortable as Kyuhyun’s anger shifts the tension in the air. “I think a lot of people would go against them if they knew this,” he says softly. “Life is getting harder out there for us, nothing is improving, and people want to return back here.”

 

“And we want you gone,” Kyuhyun assures firmly. “It’s why we came back.”

 

As a notification alert comes from the console, Kyuhyun storms over it, trying to get the image of the human wincing from his harsh tongue from out of his head. Seeing it was the security personnel summoning him, Kyuhyun headed for the door.

 

“I’ll be back. Rest,” he orders, and leaves without waiting for a reply, the thick door locking behind him as he stares up at the office.

 

He hears Siwon’s door unlock from around the corner and waits for the male to come to him.

 

“The redhead is feisty,” the male complains immediately at seeing Kyuhyun. “He-”

 

“His name is Hyukjae,” Kyuhyun cuts in smoothly, causing the male to blink at him in surprise. “Yeah, they’re of Korean descendent.”

 

“Interesting,” Siwon murmurs as they head through the door and climbing the stairs of the office. “But why haven’t you changed?”

 

Kyuhyun gives him a confused look as they enter the office. “Changed into what?”

 

“Your security clothing,” the security personnel cuts in, his voice rough. “You’re dressed as a civilian and not a guard.”

 

Kyuhyun immediately stiffens at the reprimand. “No point in dressing the part when I’m not trained as one.”

 

“Then you shouldn’t be here,” the male states. “This isn’t a game, not with what I’ve just heard from your charge.”

 

Siwon demands to know, and Kyuhyun forces himself to listen to them as they discuss what Donghae had said, confirming their suspicions and helping build more evidence against them.

 

“I don’t want you on this,” Siwon demands, and Kyuhyun raises an eyebrow from where he’s resting against the wall. “He could-”

 

“Prod me in my sleep to see what happens?” Kyuhyun cuts over sarcastically. “Are we all forgetting _he_ was the one who rescued me from the people who wanted to prod and poke at me?”

 

“Heechul should never have let you do this, you are not physically-”

 

Kyuhyun’s body is shifting before Siwon can even get anywhere near to the end of his sentence.

 

As Kangin, the security personnel, shouts for Kyuhyun to shift back, Siwon’s breathing matches Kyuhyun’s own heavy breathing as he keeps the male pinned, his huge weight pressing down on him.

 

Kyuhyun keeps eye contact until the male submits, his claws digging more and more into the alien’s skin as he braces a muscular arm against Kyuhyun’s throat.

 

“You may be the quickest _Variatore,_ but this runs on energy, Kyuhyun. What happens when you become weak around your charge?” Siwon hisses out. “That is a risk and a liability.”

 

Kyuhyun yanks himself up as he shifts back into his normal form, sending the male a dirty look as Kangin helps him back up.

 

“I will prove to you all that those two down there do not mean us harm,” Kyuhyun vows, hand on the door handle. “I will prove that standing like a shadow, monitoring, isn’t the way to go. I will prove to you all that I am not something weak.”

 

With that, Kyuhyun storms away.

 

 

 

 

It’s been a few days since his...capture? Donghae sighs, bored, as he waits for his keeper to return. While Kyuhyun could come and go as he pleases, Donghae was stuck in this room with only the communication screen linked up to Hyukjae in the other room.

 

Hyukjae’s own keeper never left which was starting to frustrate the male because, according to Hyukjae, the alien was silent and boring.

 

So, at least Donghae was lucky in that sense, Kyuhyun actually interacted with him rather than blank him.

 

Hearing the door unlock with the sound of Kyuhyun’s return a few hours later, Donghae pauses in his workout, panting a little to watch the alien come inside.

 

“I brought you another set of clothing-” the alien cuts off abruptly staring at him as he turns around.

 

Donghae had taken his top off to prevent it from getting sweaty as he worked on his core and arms, and seeing the alien stare at him like that was starting to make him feel self-conscious of his current sweaty state.

 

Donghae nods, lowers his head, and goes back to doing his press-ups, trying to ignore his curious audience.

 

He hears a soft drop and glances to see the pile of new clothes on his bed, Kyuhyun’s back to him as he sits on his own bed.

 

As Donghae continues, he hears Kyuhyun mutter something about the room being too hot and the sounds of fidgeting.

 

Just as he finishes his workout and stretches to cool down and prevent from being stiff in the morning, releasing soft moans and groans at the delicious sensation of working out his now tense muscles as well, Kyuhyun suddenly leaves the room, leaving him alone once again.

 

Donghae blinks at the abrupt exit, wondering briefly if the male had forgotten something, before forgetting about the alien as he moves to have a shower.

 

Over the last days, he’s become used to the slight charge from the strange aura radiating off the alien, his automatic instinct to shudder from it slowly easing. He hasn’t touched the alien since he helped carry him, but he hasn’t forgotten about the static shock you get from touching the male unexpectedly, so he takes care to make sure there is plenty of room between them at times.

 

While he’s gotten used to being around an alien in close proximity, there is still a lot he doesn’t know about the male. He knows Kyuhyun leaves because he has duties, something which he had asked Hyukjae about his guard only to find out that the other alien never left Hyukjae, he just doesn’t know what exactly. Also, he has noticed that Kyuhyun seems to be overcompensating for something. Whenever the male is around Donghae or even speaking with him, it’s like he’s trying to word or phrase things in a particular way. Often, Kyuhyun has stopped speaking in a middle of saying something only to say it again in a different tone, a more stiffly like tone that would make Donghae amused slightly because even he could tell it wasn’t the alien’s natural way of speaking.

 

Kyuhyun has tried to make him feel comfortable in his ‘prison’, but Donghae is used to having lack of necessities due to moving from ship to ship with his job, and apparently this makes the alien flustered whenever Donghae declines Kyuhyun’s offer of something being brought to him.

 

He isn’t going to lie; there are long moments of awkward silences between them, due to neither knowing what to say to the other. Donghae has a dozen questions, but he is a prisoner being held by a race his own is trying to figure out, it wouldn’t make sense for Kyuhyun to be so willing to share the details of how he’s different to those he’s seen on his travels.

 

So all he has been doing, while Kyuhyun silently does his own thing or watches him, is watching the old Korean dramas and shows they have managed to salvage during their time here. It’s refreshing for Donghae to keep his mother tongue active; it just only makes him itch with the need to see how the country looks now compared to the vibrancy he sees on the entertainment console.

 

But he was starting to feel caged being stuck in this small room, trapped and suffocating.

 

Pushing the button for the shower, Donghae forces himself to not think about it as he lets the water wash over him.

 

He’s a prisoner after all, and at least he has Hyukjae to keep him sane and to remind him of their training.

 

He needs to keep a calm head. It’s the only way. The second he starts to freak out, who knows what they will do to him.

 

 

 

 

“Are you sure?” the female asks, her expression full of doubt as she looks up from the samples she was analysing.

 

Kyuhyun nods, shifting. “I need a Charge Bath,” he repeats more firmly.

 

“You look in perfectly good health to me, Kyuhyun.”

 

Kyuhyun almost snaps at that, his hands digging further into his jacket’s pockets to prevent him from rubbing his skin to get rid of the excess tingles of energy seeping from him.

 

“I haven’t been able to shift so I feel a little out of sorts,” he admits tightly, and the female continues to stare at him. “I just need an hour or so to take my levels down.”

 

“You are experiencing....what exactly?” she asks, giving him her full attention.

 

Kyuhyun is aware of the other researcher eyeing them, and glowers at him to go back to work. “I just feel odd.”

 

“Odd,” she repeats, tone almost clinical, and Kyuhyun nods, hands tightening more as his skin warms unexpectedly.

 

Unable to bear with the sudden warmth over his skin, Kyuhyun rubs at his arms, the material against his skin causing it to tingle even more, frustrating him further as he hisses, yanking the jacket off and dumping it to the side of him.

 

The female’s expression shifts slightly, feeling his wave of energy rolling off him. “That-”

 

“Is what I’ve been feeling and it’s starting to make me cranky, so if you will, Seohyun, you will do it,” Kyuhyun cuts over her, tone almost desperate.

 

Seohyun moves from her work station and moves past him, and Kyuhyun hurries after her as she heads for the chambers. As she gets the chamber ready, Kyuhyun strips behind the screen near them and hurries up into the one she has opened.

 

“I’m only doing this for an hour, you need to shift afterwards,” Seohyun warns him before the chamber is shut. “And you also need to rest more.”

 

Kyuhyun ignores the last part, he can’t rest whilst guarding a human and also looking after six zones that are changing practically almost every day now, but nods to keep the peace. As Seohyun seals the chamber and the liquid fills in from the bottom, Kyuhyun almost sags at the relief the liquid has over his skin.

 

As he shuts his eyes, he tries to shut his mind as well.

 

This will make him feel better.

 

_It has to._

 

 

 

 

“You were allowed out?!” Donghae gawps, and Hyukjae nods, the screen lagging just a little from the fast movement.

 

“I mentioned that I can’t exactly keep my stamina up in a tiny room so Siwon escorted me to a huge hall thing somewhere near here where he watched me run,” Hyukjae explains. “Hasn’t yours done that yet?”

 

Donghae shakes his head. “He’s been quiet lately, looking a little stressed, so I’ve been keeping to myself,” he tells him.

 

Donghae notices Siwon, who was sitting in the background, look up at that.

 

“Tell him,” Hyukjae says as he stretches. “I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long, you’re worse than me for being cooped up for long.”

 

Donghae glanced down at his bouncing leg, a tick that he’s started doing lately to release some of the tension and boredom. He looks back up to see Hyukjae stuffing his face with his meal. “I’m doing okay,” he says lightly, trying to stop his bouncing leg.

 

Hyukjae snorts and the door to Donghae’s prison unlocks and opens to reveal a tired looking Kyuhyun.

 

Kyuhyun mutters something as he locks the door and Donghae jumps slightly as Siwon speaks, appearing behind Hyukjae’s now stunned form.

 

“I’m escorting your charge tomorrow,” Siwon announces suddenly, and Donghae glances away from Hyukjae’s stunned face as Kyuhyun suddenly storms over to be seen in the screen.

 

“He is _my_ charge; you will do no such thing.” Kyuhyun hisses, standing in front of Donghae, making him peek carefully around the alien to watch the screen to watch this rare scene.

 

“He needs to exercise.” Siwon states neutrally, both aliens staring at each other with looks of annoyance. “I will collect him first thing in the morning.”

 

Without giving Kyuhyun a chance to argue or for Donghae to say goodbye to his stunned friend, Siwon cancels the call, the screen going blank.

 

Donghae jumps back against the sofa as Kyuhyun rounds on him, his black eyes furious. “What have you been saying?”

 

“Nothing!” Donghae defends himself, surprised at this side of the alien. “I haven’t said anything to him!”

 

“If you have anything to say or need you come to me, not him, _me_ ,” Kyuhyun growls out, and Donghae’s skin erupts with pimples as the alien’s magical aura intensifies, causing his body to react nervously.

 

Before Donghae can even think up a response, the alien is across the small room, taking his pressing aura with him and causing Donghae to almost sag.

 

As Kyuhyun noisily makes himself something to eat, Donghae takes to studying the alien, so unused to seeing this almost chaotic side of the alien.

 

Kyuhyun’s pale skin seems to be looking a little more pale, the slight blue-ish hue to the skin almost an off colour of gray. It reminded Donghae of how a person who gets ill loses all colouring and turns a slight ash colour, and Donghae perks up slightly at the mere thought of the alien being sick.

 

“Can aliens get sick?” he blurts out, and Kyuhyun freezes.

 

“What?” comes the terse reply.

 

Donghae keeps seated, eyeing the alien’s tensed shoulders. “You’re looking a little off.”

 

“And I suppose you’re well versed with how aliens look, huh?” Kyuhyun retorts, coming back to making his meal.

 

Donghae restrains the glare he wants to give the male’s back. “Compared to when I first met you and until now, you look different.”

 

“None of your concern.”

 

Donghae bites his tongue at the shutdown.

 

They spend the rest of the night in silence.

 

And when Donghae wakes up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, Kyuhyun is gone.

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun was starting to lose it.

 

“Kyuhyun!”

 

And he’s trying to hide it.

 

Turning to face Siwon, Kyuhyun crosses his arms, ready. “I told you, you’re not taking my charge this morning.”

 

“You cannot be serious,” Siwon hisses, pulling him away from his door where he had been about to collect Donghae. “In a small room, you can get away with guarding him, but in the training space? No way, Kyuhyun, the risk is too high.”

 

Kyuhyun grits his teeth at the pressure to his skin and jerks out of Siwon’s hold. “The training space has only one entrance, he won’t get passed me.”

 

Siwon’s black eyes grow larger, his annoyance showing. “You-”

 

“I will be in a different form, yes,” Kyuhyun confirms. “He won’t escape. Not that he even plans on doing so anyway.”

 

“You need to stop putting so much faith into these humans,” Siwon hisses, poking Kyuhyun’s chest. “And start by taking it more seriously.”

 

Kyuhyun’s anger flares at that, a wave of energy rushing off his skin and causing Siwon’s body to react instinctively, shifting into a more confrontational stance.

 

The guard above them releases a burst of cold air onto them, causing them both to gasp as it immediately deflates the rising confrontation between them.

 

“Go back to your stations,” the older male orders, his voice coming through the sound system.

 

Siwon gives Kyuhyun one last warning look that means this matter is yet to be over, and Kyuhyun storms to his door.

 

He tries to enter silently, to not rouse the sleeping human since it is still early hours, but as the door clicks shut, he jumps at seeing Donghae sitting up in his bed, dressed and watching him.

 

“How come you’re up?” Kyuhyun questions, his skin no longer cold now from the blast as a slow burn of warmth flushes over his body.

 

Kyuhyun almost turns and leaves at feeling it, but he locks his legs, breathing controlled as he stares over Donghae’s shoulder and not directly in the eyes.

 

“You work during the night now?” Donghae asks, and for the first time since he was brought here, he sounds like the officer Kyuhyun remembers.

 

Kyuhyun was actually in a charge bath, something he had hacked himself since he couldn’t take the itching no more, but he wasn’t about to reveal that to the human.

 

“Since you’re ready, let’s go,” Kyuhyun says instead.

 

He ignores the scrutiny in the human’s eyes as he goes through in his mind all the safety protocols he needs to do whilst they’re outside the room.

 

When they leave, the guard’s attention on them fully that Kyuhyun can feel the judging glare, Kyuhyun keeps Donghae within reach and sight at all times.

 

Once they’re in the training space, Kyuhyun had authorised that no other would be using it at this time, he motioned for the human to get to work. “You have one hour,” Kyuhyun informs him, crossing his arms as he remains in front of the entrance behind him.

 

Donghae is hesitant to start, stretching slowly while carefully observing the space, and while he does so, Kyuhyun silently shifts forms while Donghae’s back is to him.

 

As he shakes his new larger body, he feels relief at some of the restless energy within him is released now, the burning sensation dulling now.

 

When Donghae turns, mouth open to ask something, he squeaks in surprise, his brown eyes widening as he hastily rushes back, putting distance between them.

 

Kyuhyun rolls his eyes at this, but remains sitting tall and strong, showing the human his new sleek strength, the warning clear.

 

Donghae mutters something, and Kyuhyun ignores it as the human sets off in a leisurely pace around the huge space.

 

It doesn’t take long for the human to get sucked into his cardio workout, and Kyuhyun almost shifts back because it’s clear he was right all along, the human has no intentions of escaping.

 

Instead, he settles onto his stomach, his thick black paws overlapping in front of him so he can rest his head.

 

He quite likes this form; it’s one of his favourites. Black panthers are believed to be extinct now, but that didn’t stop him from using it. They’re powerful and agile creatures, something Kyuhyun is not. Under the disguise as one though, he can get the taste of how it feels to be so, to feel how it must feel for his brothers and sisters who are strong and fearless.

 

Being an environmentalist is a tame occupation amongst the ones on his home planet, and Kyuhyun often has to remind himself that whilst he is one of the quickest _Variatores_ for his age and can maintain it the longest without crippling himself nor having to rely on their minor and weaker power of mind control, if it wasn’t for his skills as well as the others in being able to terraform other planets, then his own kind would have never gotten this far. 

 

Watching Donghae quicken his pace, Kyuhyun wonders how long he can continue holding his breath before he’s forced to breathe in the male’s stronger scent.

 

Seeing the sweat begin to shine due to the lighting, seeing the tight muscles work as the human moves his body, constantly changing directions to work on his agility, Kyuhyun feels a rush of burning heat.

 

Whining softly, Kyuhyun shakes his body to shake off the frustrating sensation, only to feel it cling to his skin, seeping into his bones and making a dull ache appear in them as he rises to his legs to start pacing, to walk some of the energy off.

 

He hears Donghae approach him, but maintains the distance. “Done guarding?” he asks, panting.

 

Kyuhyun ignores the male’s scent, ignores his stupid body, and darts at the human, taking pleasure at the startled sound the human makes as he dives to avoid Kyuhyun.

 

Kyuhyun paces slightly, eyes locked on the human, hoping the male will understand what he wants without Kyuhyun having to use his telekinetic power to make him.

 

“You...wanna race or something?” Donghae guesses, unsure.

 

Kyuhyun snorts, circling him.

 

“Shouldn’t you be-”

 

Kyuhyun leaps, forcing Donghae to stumble backwards to avoid it.

 

Donghae continues to stare at him, expression part bewildered and part amused. “Alright then, let’s race.”

 

 

 

 

Donghae was close to passing out due to the harsh stitch in his side, his lungs burning, but he refused to allow the alien to beat him.

 

As Kyuhyun cheated yet again by scaring him with a fake dart towards him, Donghae couldn’t correct his balance in time, his tired feet stumbling over one-an-other, and down he goes.

 

Groaning at the sharp pain in his hip since that’s what took the most of his fall, Donghae shook the sweaty hair from his vision as he tried to catch his breath.

 

What he didn’t expect next was to have a face full of black smooth fur.

 

Stuttering, heart rammed in his mouth as Kyuhyun’s face continues to nudge him insistently to sit up properly, Donghae does so, stunned as the alien’s panther form paws at his side gently, seeking for any injuries.

 

“I’ll only have a bruise, nothing broke,” he reassures the alien softly, touched that the alien actually showed some care over his fall.

 

Or he was just feeling guilty.

 

Donghae rests back onto his hands and immediately buckles, a sharp pain coming from his elbow as he hisses again, gently cradling it to see why it hurts.

 

Hands suddenly ease his arm long, and Donghae stares at Kyuhyun’s normal form, having missed the change back.

 

“Hopefully you just banged it hard,” Kyuhyun murmurs, black eyes focused as his fingers touching him.

 

Dazedly, Donghae realises this is the first time the alien is touching him, the first time he’s seen this side so openly.

 

“Shouldn’t cheat,” Donghae jokes lightly, and those black eyes flicker up to him.

 

Donghae sucks in a silent inhale as a rush of warmth spreads over him, coming from Kyuhyun whose grip on him tightens slightly.

 

Compared to Donghae who is a sweaty and possible slightly smelly mess, Kyuhyun doesn’t even look sweaty from his running with Donghae or the fact he’s changed bodies.

 

It makes Donghae wonder even more about the alien.

 

But his skin does look better, his colouring much better than it had been earlier.

 

“What are you thinking?” Kyuhyun asks, voice quiet, hushed almost.

 

Kyuhyun’s eyes are so black and attention grabbing that Donghae is helpless to look away, being consumed by the male’s strong gaze.

 

“Your skin,” Donghae answers back just as quiet. “You look better.”

 

“Shifting helps,” Kyuhyun tells him, and Donghae perks up slightly at the male’s answer.

 

“Can all aliens do this?”

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head ever so slightly, his hand still holding Donghae, their bodies close but not touching. “Only specific races can.”

 

Donghae’s thirst for more information after being kept in the dark the past few days becomes stronger. “Only those with those markings?” he asks, curious.

 

He knows instantly he’s asked the wrong thing because Kyuhyun jerks away from him, black gaze sharp. “What markings?” he demands, still holding Donghae’s gaze.

 

Donghae’s eyes drop down to Kyuhyun’s neck, to where a small silver vine like mark is starting to creep over the male’s skin visible where the male’s collar isn’t covering. “The one on your neck.”

 

Instantly, Kyuhyun shifts forms, the change far too quick for Donghae’s human eyes to process, and the black panther heads for the door, causing Donghae to quickly scramble after him.

 

He gets no answers to his question. Once escorted back to his prison, Kyuhyun leaves without evening coming inside, leaving him alone with even more questions than answers.

 

 

 

 

Alone, Kyuhyun rips off his clothing and shoves the lever for the water to rain down on him as he furiously scratches at his neck and over his shoulder to get rid of the silver mark.

 

The hot water does nothing but irritates his skin, his scratching turning his neck and shoulder a sharp red.

 

“No no no no,” Kyuhyun hisses to himself, _needing_ this mark to go away.

 

Staring at himself in the window of the shower cubical, seeing the mark remain deep into his skin, Kyuhyun almost punches the wall, hysteria hot on his tail as the heat from the water mingles with the lingering heat deep within his skin.

 

Panting against the tile, black hair like a curtain over his eyes as the water rains down his spine, Kyuhyun forces himself to peek at the reflection, to see the mark properly.

 

Seeing it curve just over his shoulder blade and up to the back of his neck, Kyuhyun searches his body carefully for any more.

 

He sees another one, faint for the moment, starting to blossom over his right hip.

 

He nearly starts to cry.

 

“This cannot happen,” he says to himself, breathing harsh as he claws at his skin. “It’s not possible!”

 

As the hysteria threatens to consume him, he pushes the lever for the cold water and falls to his butt as the cold water causes him to gasp, chasing away the heat and his hysteria.

 

As he cradles his face, hiding behind his knees, the water chilling his skin but not that frustrating reminder under his skin, Kyuhyun shakes his head ever so slightly in continued denial.

 

It’s not possible. He’s too young.

 

It’s just not _possible_.

 

 

 

 

Donghae’s talking to Hyuk when their console beeps with an alert, forcing a very silent Kyuhyun, who had stood by the door all day, to see to it.

 

Kyuhyun didn’t return until the night, and even this morning the alien hasn’t spoken to him. It seems he’s taken a page out of Siwon’s book; being a silent and boring guard.

 

“They’re what?” Kyuhyun demands, voice shocked.

 

Hyuk quietens as Siwon answers his own alert, and both of them send each other wary looks before looking back at their guards.

 

“Then you don’t need him,” Kyuhyun growls, posture shifting to curve over the console, as if hiding it. “Myself and Siwon is all that is needed, they can remain.”

 

Donghae looks back to see Siwon leaving Hyuk, who is confused about the alien’s departure since he _never_ leaves, Donghae hears the sound of his own door opening and shutting, and sees Kyuhyun gone.

 

“I don’t like the sound of this,” Hyukjae comments, and Donghae nods in agreement.

 

“Looks like our fate is about to be decided.”

 

 

 

 

“They don’t want them,” Heechul announces to the court. “They want us.”

 

A few murmurs pick up; Kyuhyun ignores them, hands fisted at his sides.

 

“They are declaring war if we do not reveal ourselves,” Heechul’s voice booms, his anger obvious. “They are more concerned that we have ‘invaded Earth’ rather than we have helped Earth!”

 

“Then what are we waiting for!” someone shouts, furious. “They only care about enslaving rather than saving their own kind!”

 

A few shout their agreements, the tension in the room growing by the second.

 

“Our leaders have tried to pacify the human kind, we have all tried to help and put up with them, but this...this is enough,” Heechul snarls, his eyes dangerous. “We’re going to war.”

 

Kyuhyun steps forward, needing to calm down the others who rise suddenly. “Is this an order from the elders?” Kyuhyun demands, his voice silencing the others.

 

“It will be,” Heechul purrs, malevolence pouring from the male.

 

“They are stupid, but not this stupid,” Kyuhyun reasons. “They won’t go to war with us; they will have to follow our demands.”

 

“What part of ‘if we don’t reveal ourselves we will go to war’ did you not understand?” A fellow brother snaps, looming over Kyuhyun, his thicker build pressing in on Kyuhyun’s space.

 

Kyuhyun’s spine steels at the threat of intimidation, his eyes narrowing as he curls his minor power around the male’s mind, easily slipping through his natural defence and squeezing.

 

As the male drops to his knees, screaming in pain, Kyuhyun looks back at Heechul. “Your job is to keep everything calm. Until we have official word, we cannot lose focus.”

 

“We all know the outcome, Kyuhyun. We _will_ be going to war,” Heechul warns, voice deep with the promise.

 

Kyuhyun folds his arms and leans back against the wall beside a silent Siwon. “Then we will wait for that outcome instead of deciding it now amongst ourselves.”

 

So they do. They wait.

 

An hour later, Heechul is summoned to his office, a call from the elders demanding his presence.

 

An anticipating hush falls over the court, and Kyuhyun watches his fellow kind, sees the mixed responses of what the news could mean.

 

Seventeen minutes later, and the court is in chaos.

 

“Not all of them deserve this!” Kyuhyun shouts, a few others supporting him. “Why should we condemn our race and those innocent because of _their_ selfish leaders?!”

 

“It is a direct order, Kyuhyun, you and your team will shut down your zones, do you understand?” Heechul barks out the order at him. “You will show just how much our presence here has saved those on earth so far. You will destroy their zones lifeline.”

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head, refusing. “By doing this we’ll be destroying everything we have done!”

 

“If they don’t want Earth, Kyuhyun, then we will take it. But first, we need to get rid of the vermin lingering,” Heechul snarls, and others who have remained behind for their own orders cheers at his words.

 

“I am not killing innocents! No matter their race!” Kyuhyun snaps, shrugging off Siwon’s hand.

 

“You will do as ordered or I will have you arrested,” Heechul threatens, and Kyuhyun stares at him, wondering where his friend has gone.

 

“You’re making a big mistake,” Kyuhyun says. “We don’t need to harm them.”

 

“So what are you saying, Kyuhyun? We enslave those who oppose of their new leaders?”

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t answer, his glare doing it for him.

 

“Do your job,” Heechul orders firmly, the violent edge to his voice gone. “I want you and your team out of here before the vessels arrive at Earth.”

 

“What of the humans?” someone asks, and Kyuhyun’s mind goes silent as do the others. “Did they say for us to kill them?”

 

“Or take them as slaves but I don’t see the point, they’re only officers,” Heechul relays, and Kyuhyun’s heart starts to race. “Siwon, you will-”

 

 “No.”

 

Kyuhyun feels the entire court stare at him, Heechul’s own with confusion.

 

“No, what?” Heechul repeats.

 

Kyuhyun can feel the mark on his hip and shoulder burn. “We keep them. I will use them to help transport our equipment and research.”

 

Heechul’s eyes change from confusion to suspicion. “You can use some of ours.”

 

“I demand to have them, Chul. I will need to study something while this war rages on,” he lies, having no intention of using the humans as research.

 

“You may have one. The red one. The other will remain here to be used as an example.”

 

Kyuhyun snarls and he tries to bite it back, but he can’t stop it, his entire body reacting to Heechul’s words.

 

The silence is deafening after his snarl.

 

“Grab him,” Heechul orders, expression dark.

 

Before Kyuhyun can shift, a piercing pain floods his head, causing him to cry out in pain as he’s roughly grabbed on either side, his shirt ripped at Heechul’s demand.

 

As the pain continues to assault him, he tries to unwrap the other _Variatore_ from his head.

 

“There, on his shoulder,” he hears someone say, and immediately he’s shoved away, the pain vanishing from his mind as he catches himself, panting.

 

“How is that possible,” Heechul breathes, the silence in the room thick. “You-”

 

“Have only been exposed to him in the last couple of days,” Kyuhyun confirms, throat tight, looking up at Heechul from behind his black fringe. “Believe me, Chul, I don’t want this either but the proof is enough.”

 

“Siwon, you will escort the human captives to the ship due to leave in five hours, you will be in charge of them, and _you_ ,” Heechul’s eyes fix on Kyuhyun and Kyuhyun can see the male trying hard not to so just how much this news is affecting him, “you will return to your team, do as ordered.”

 

Kyuhyun opens his mouth to argue, hands clutching at his ripped shirt, but Heechul’s look silences his argument, his patience up.

 

“No one, _and this is an order_ , will speak of what has been shown just now,” Heechul orders the lingering group remaining behind. “Once we are back home, this matter will be investigated fully, but for now, those humans are not to be interacted with by anyone but Siwon. And I mean, _only_ Siwon.”

 

The group makes sounds of agreement, and Kyuhyun tries hard to ignore the way his chest is tightening, his skin burning as Heechul finishes.

 

“For now, those humans live another day.”

 

 

 

 

Staring at the handcuffs, Donghae glances over at the silent alien. “If we’re being sentenced to death, you should at least tell us.”

 

Siwon remains silent, not even looking at him.

 

“How could you cope with that,” Donghae whispers to Hyuk.

 

“You get used to it,” came the dull reply.

 

“Hey,” Donghae coaxes softly, “I’m sorry I landed you in this mess. You don’t deserve to die.”

 

“Neither of us do,” Hyukjae corrects. “I guess what we had tried to prevent is happening. It’s the only way to explain them suddenly carting us off.”

 

Donghae sighs, resting back against the wall of the sealed room they were in on a ship. “So many are going to die for no good reason.”

 

“The story of life, isn’t it?” Hyukjae murmurs. “Death comes no matter the reason.”

 

“Well, at least I won’t be alone,” Donghae jokes softly, causing Hyukjae to snort.

 

“You come into this world alone, and you will leave it alone.”

 

Donghae nudges him for that.

 

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun is crazy. Absolutely, fucking crazy.

 

“What are you doing?!” Seohyun gasps, hands trying to stop him from destroying the rest of their equipment.

 

“We’re gonna destroy Earth with this war, what is the point of saving anything from it!” Kyuhyun snaps, enraged as he shoves her from him, and smashes the last computer.

 

As he moves to destroy their samples, Seohyun grabs him, tighter this time.

 

“You’re burning up,” she hisses as she fights with him to drag him from his work area. “Kyuhyun, you’re delirious!”

 

Kyuhyun shakes his head. He feels fine, the energy rushing through him due to his anger, the threat of-

 

“Let me go,” he snarls, and Seohyun shoves him hard before slapping him across the face, stunning him.

 

“Sit.” She orders, her expression controlled, and Kyuhyun does so, looking ashamed as some of his anger dissipates.

 

“I...I can’t help it,” Kyuhyun mumbles, guilty. “I feel so-”

 

“You’re at the very beginning,” Seohyun calmly explains to him as she works, gathering a vial of something a needle. “I can’t stop it, but this will take the edge off until we can get home.”

 

Kyuhyun nods, offering his arm. “Heechul is going to kill me.”

 

“Just...do as ordered, okay? We only have a couple of hours left,” Seohyun tells him softly and he winces at the needle going into his skin.

 

“I don’t want to kill them.”

 

“Me neither.”

 

Kyuhyun looks as she withdraws the needle. “Seohyun...”

 

“Hmm?” she answers as she disposes the needle and empty vial.

 

“What if we don’t cripple the zones,” Kyuhyun whispers, mind working.

 

“But...Heechul said-”

 

“We can make it look like we have,” Kyuhyun hastily says, standing quick to grab her hands. “We can pretend to do it, report it like we have, but in fact we can leave the zones alone, see how they cope through this war.”

 

Seohyun looks uncomfortable with the idea. “If...we can get into a lot of trouble if they ever find out.”

 

“Then let’s make sure they won’t,” Kyuhyun grins. “Get the others. Let’s do our job properly.”

 

 

 

 

 

When the ship they’re on leaves Earth’s atmosphere, he and his fellow brothers and sisters stand in front of the windows, watching the fleet of vessels surrounding Earth’s zones.

 

“They knew all along it would come this, didn’t they?” he hears a female say.

 

Kyuhyun represses the shudder as he stares at the war ships containing different types of aliens onboard, ready to kill and capture if need be.

 

“Humankind is about to see us how they have envisioned us during their entire existence.”

 

Kyuhyun walks away at that, the person’s words echoing.

 

His team have only destroyed their main zone, figuring that if they got rid of the main one their superiors won’t question about the others they have saved and hidden any trace of them existing.

 

Kyuhyun made his way through the ship, ignoring those who pass him, those who know the truth of his skin, and tries not to let their reaction get to him.

 

As he goes down to the decks below, Kyuhyun is confronted with guards. “Only authorised personnel.”

 

“I am authorised,” Kyuhyun states. “I am the guard to one of the humans inside.”

 

The male gives him a doubtful look. “You’re nothing but a scientist.”

 

“Environmentalist,” Kyuhyun corrects with a growl. “One of the human’s is my research project. I have been monitoring his transition to Earth’s atmosphere.”

 

“We’re no longer in Earth’s atmosphere.”

 

“Exactly,” Kyuhyun points out, crossing his arms. “I need to check if there is any change already.”

 

The male looks conflicted and he looks to the others who shrug. “Siwon is in there.”

 

“And Siwon said he was the only one allowed contact.”

 

“Siwon is the redhead’s guard,” Kyuhyun corrects, starting to feel annoyed now his plan wasn’t going his way. “He isn’t in charge of mine.”

 

“Step forward,” the male orders and Kyuhyun does so, being patted down.

 

“No longer than-”

 

“I am only checking on his health,” Kyuhyun interrupts. “Let me do my job.”

 

The guards move aside, one of them releasing the lock.

 

Kyuhyun feels their stares on his back as he steps into the room, it shutting silently behind him.

 

Siwon’s eyes almost bug out of his head. “What the hell are you doing here?” he snaps, the two humans staring at him too.

 

Kyuhyun’s eyes immediately focus on the restraints. “Release them.”

 

“You aren’t even meant to-”

 

Kyuhyun steps forward and is shoved back by Siwon.

 

 _“Leave,”_ Siwon hisses in their mother tongue. _“Heechul will lock you away if he finds out you’ve been near them.”_

 

 _“I’m only making sure they’re okay,”_ Kyuhyun argues, careful with his phrasing.

 

Siwon’s face tells him he doesn’t believe Kyuhyun for a second.

 

_“Go.”_

 

“Are you two hungry?” Kyuhyun asks, leaning to the side to see the two quiet humans.

 

Hyukjae nods his head, but Donghae remains silent.

 

Kyuhyun swallows. “Donghae?”

 

“Are you executing us on your home planet?” Donghae questions lowly, eyes locked with Kyuhyun’s.

 

“ _Kyuhyun_ ,” Siwon warns as Kyuhyun’s skin gives off a sharp dose of energy, the air prickling almost with it.

 

“You’re not dying yet,” Kyuhyun assures him. “But I think you’ve gathered what is about to happen between our two races.”

 

Both nod, expressions torn.

 

“ _Feed them, talk to them_ ,” Kyuhyun orders Siwon. _“Humans need stimulation otherwise they will lapse into a dark place.”_

Kyuhyun turns to leave and Siwon hisses when he grabs Kyuhyun’s wrist, his skin giving off a warning shock. “ _As long as you swear not to come back down_ ,” Siwon promises.

 

Kyuhyun shrugs the male off. “ _You_ _know I can’t promise that_.”

 

Kyuhyun leaves at that, and the guards don’t even look at him as he heads back to the lift to the upper deck.

 

Once alone, Kyuhyun’s control shatters and he stumbles to the side, leaning against the wall, his breathing racing madly as his skin continues its tingling, the ache in his bones more noticeable now, the injection Seohyun had gave him weakening now that time is pressing on.

 

He knows that once he’s back on their home planet he’s going to be taken away, their doctors and maybe even scientists wanting to investigate his transition. Transition being the polite version of saying what’s actually happening to him. It’s a natural thing for his kind and a few others to go through, but that’s the thing, it only ever occurs to alien-to-alien.

 

The fact it’s happening to Kyuhyun after he’s had contact with the human, could be a coincidence or something unimaginable.

 

Either way, Kyuhyun is at the very beginning, the flushes of heat, the aches in his body because it’s trying to fight off the need growing inside him, and then the heat vanishes and leaves him lethargic, Kyuhyun knows this will only continue to grow worse and worse because he can’t do what needs to be done to complete it.

 

He may not be a youngling, but he’s not far from it, this is too early for someone for his age, which explains why it’s also slightly more unpredictable.

 

Kyuhyun pauses, seeing a guard outside his room. “I’m under guard?” he spits, spine stiffening.

 

The guard gives him a look, steps aside so he can go inside, but doesn’t answer.

 

Kyuhyun slams the door behind him, the spike of energy building under his skin releasing from the anger.

 

He sees a notification alert on the computer device on his bed, and he activates it.

 

“You’re going to treat me like a kid?” Kyuhyun demands as Heechul’s face appears on the screen.

 

“I am doing what needs to be done. You know isolation occurs during the-”

 

“Transition,” Kyuhyun says before Heechul can say the actual name. “But that only occurs when the alien is in the second stage and it is needed.”

 

“I saw your handy work, Kyuhyun. Your emotions are too unpredictable for you to be around the others onboard, you will be guarded until you arrive back home.”

 

Kyuhyun curbs the anger, needing to prove Heechul wrong. “You do know that isolation from the subject will only intensify the changes?” he reminds him, and Heechul’s gaze hardens.

 

“You are not permitted to go anywhere near those two, not until you have been examined.”

 

“You’re hoping this is a fluke and the actual cause of my transition is someone else,” Kyuhyun retorts, and Heechul says nothing, his silence enough. “I think we both know that isn’t going to be the case.”

 

“You’ve accepted it,” Heechul states, tone strange.

 

“I recognised the signs, denied them, it wasn’t until I saw the physical proof that I had to accept it. I have accepted my transition, Heechul, not the cause,” he corrects.

 

“Good. With any luck, if we can keep you separated long enough, since you’re at the beginning, it may die off.”

 

Kyuhyun scoffs at that. “That has only ever worked once and the only reason why the transition stopped was because the cause died.”

 

“Exactly.”

 

Kyuhyun almost drops his screen as his body reacts to the male’s declaration.

 

“If it comes to that, Kyuhyun, if it’s proven to be true, that will be the option,” Heechul starts to say and Kyuhyun ends the call, unable to mask his emotions anymore, clarity shutting down.

 

All he’s aware of is the heat burning his skin as a burning need floods his body, and since he can’t leave without having to fight the muscle outside his door, Kyuhyun destroys his bed, shredding it as he shifts from different forms, the energy too much within him as he snarls insults as if Heechul was in the room with him.

 

Kyuhyun will destroy with his own hands before anyone terminates the human in the depths of the ship.

 

 

 

 

When they do land on his home planet, with Kyuhyun practically being isolated the entire journey there, Kyuhyun doesn’t feel any sense of being home.

 

How could he, when he’s currently being escorted from the ship, a thousand and one questions being bombarded at him in his mother tongue as he’s led away from the shipping bay before he could even try to track down where Siwon is currently leading the two humans.

 

Kyuhyun knows better to ask, asking means he’s curious, curious means he’s interested, and interest means possible attachment.

 

Kyuhyun keeps his mouth shut, just like he did when he was captured by the human scientists, if he wanted to escape this, he was doing it the quick and easy way, and after spending the entire journey by himself, he has had plenty of time to plot.

 

So he allows them to take him away, the crystallized stone city of his home planet a reminder that things are different now, he’s home, and the rules are back.

 

 

 

 

Donghae and Hyukjae are given masks to wear so they can breathe, since no human has came to this zone, no one was risking accidently killing them due to suffocating on the change of atmosphere.

 

“Well, at least we’ll know how they will kill us,” Hyukjae says, his voice a hiss through the mask, the ride in the podship silent.

 

Donghae hums, but he’s too distracted by taking in this planet. “It’s beautiful,” he can’t help murmur, seeing the crystallized buildings shining with assortment of colours from the light of day.

 

“I guess so,” Hyukjae unwillingly admits, looking as well. “But I do not like being this high up.”

 

Donghae agrees with that. “I wonder why everything is built up off the ground.”

 

“Let’s see if we survive long enough to find out.”

 

Donghae finds their new attitude to their inescapable death amusing now, at the beginning he had been worried, but now, now it’s the only way for them to actually stay sane by poking fun at it.

 

“That could be another way to kill us,” Donghae muses, and Hyukjae laughs.

 

They both fall into a discussion of what could be the danger on the ground as their alien guards, including Siwon, ignore them as they take them underground, leaving the beautiful city behind so they can face their new prison.

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun watches them, and knows the truth.

 

“The examination results conclude that you are in fact in the early stages of Bonding, in regards to this, we will need to test you with the-”

 

“I only encountered the humans, and funnily enough, this happens. None of my colony has triggered this, and you all know it,” Kyuhyun cuts in, eyes piercing them.

 

“You are suggesting that a human has somehow triggered this?” one of the doctors muses, others writing notes.

 

“There is no other way to explain it, is there?”

 

“You do realise the very idea is near impossible? Only _Variatores_ bond by markings, we’re one of the few species that has no control over our sexual mating, and you are suggesting a human is your bond-mate?”

 

Kyuhyun almost grinds his teeth, his skin feeling tight. “You have all the evidence you need.”

 

“Not all.”

 

“You are not harming-” Kyuhyun begins, furious.

 

“We will not harm the human in question, but we will need to monitor you both.”

 

“You won’t harm either human,” Kyuhyun warns. “My-That human needs his own support system and his fellow human is it. You will not harm or take that from him, understood?”

 

“We will keep the human close, but you two will be separate and monitored from everyone else for a time period. If nothing conclusive proves the human is indeed your bond-mate, then we can conclude that your Bonding was triggered by the stress of your capture and you are subconsciously pinning it onto the human who had helped you.”

 

Kyuhyun forces a nod. “Understood. But if the results come back that he _is_ , they both go free, no longer treated like prisoners.”

 

The doctors and scientists motion for him to stand. “If you will follow us, we would like to do this as promptly as we can.”

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t budge. “I am willing to play guinea pig, but I want assurance those two innocents will be treated with respect, they have done nothing to harm or threaten us.”

 

“We will make them comfortable, now, if you may...”

 

Kyuhyun takes a calming deep breath and follows.

 

 

 

 

So he and Hyukjae have been separated again, but at least this time they’re in bigger rooms that look more lived in and comfortable, it even has a window, and the first thing Donghae does is sit by it and just drink in the view, to see the outside world after being cooped up for so long.

 

Donghae wonders if Kyuhyun will be his guard here, he hasn’t seen the male since he came to see him on the ship that one time, and that was some time ago.

 

When he hears the door open, Donghae turns quickly, not expecting anyone to visit.

 

“You look...well,” Kyuhyun says, pausing the shutting of the door as he sees Donghae.

 

Donghae rakes his gaze over the alien. “You don’t look so well.”

 

“Stress,” Kyuhyun murmurs, shutting the door properly. “My entire life is full of it at the moment.”

 

“I thought that by being home it would be relaxing,” Donghae tries to cheer him up, and only then notices the huge bag slung over the male’s shoulder. “What’s the bag for?”

 

“It’s my stuff and a few things for you,” Kyuhyun answers as he dumps it onto the table. “I’m living with you until things get settled.”

 

Donghae nods, having already expected such a thing. “I’m glad it’s you then.”

 

Kyuhyun stiffens, and looks up at him. “You...are?”

 

“Sure, you’re the only alien I really know. It would be uncomfortable to be guarded by someone else.”

 

Kyuhyun quickly looks down, unpacking. “I guess.”

 

Donghae comes over to help, pauses when he sees Kyuhyun tense again. “You alright?”

 

“Just...don’t touch me,” Kyuhyun warns, and Donghae remembers the reminder of his skin.

 

“I know not to touch you unexpectedly,” he laughs, feeling a little awkward around the tense male. “Relax, we’ll just go back to how things were a few weeks ago.”

 

Donghae takes the pile of clothes and human products from Kyuhyun, and heads for the bathroom, his skin feeling cool the more steps he takes away from the alien, having not noticed the change in temperature around the male.

 

Donghae doesn’t question it, too used to the fact he lives in the dark when it comes to understanding anything about aliens.

 

As Donghae begins to undress, intent of having a shower to remove the grime off his skin from travelling, he squeaks in shock at seeing Kyuhyun standing in the doorway, his approach so silent.

 

“You-”

 

“We’re called _Variatores_ ,” Kyuhyun unexpectedly announces, leaning against the doorjamb. “The species you have been around, that’s what we’re called.”

 

 Donghae blinks, stunned. “Erm...”

 

“In your common tongue, it means shifters,” Kyuhyun continues, watching him. “And as you have seen, we can shift into any animal form. We can also glamour like the other alien species, but it isn’t needed since we don’t often come into contact with humans so it’s rather a redundant skill for those who live and work normal jobs here. As you also had experienced when you helped me, we have the minor power of mind control, but not all _Variatores_.”

 

“Do...do you all – species wise – do you all have the same physical appearance?” Donghae asks, his hunger for knowledge spilling from him.

 

“I can’t say for all since I have limited experience. There are a few races that need the glamour because their true form would be considered too frightening for you mere humans. But just like you, we come in different colours, shapes, and sizes.”

 

“And you...what is your language called?” Donghae asks, leaning against the counter. “I’ve heard it a few times now and it sounds mesmerising, like very little words are used.”

 

“It’s more of a sound-based language, we do use actual words, but the most of it is spoken of through pitch and intensity, something that is hard to replicate when you haven’t been exposed to it since it all sounds alike,” Kyuhyun says, a soft smile touching the corner of his lips. “But since we’re able absorb language easily, it allows us to learn it and also learn other alien languages, as well as your common tongue.”

 

“What is it called?” Donghae asks, noticing only now the lilt to Kyuhyun’s English the longer he speaks since the male only ever spoke shortly around him before.

 

“ _Ventos_.”

 

“Ventus?” Donghae repeats, and Kyuhyun shakes his head.

 

“Ven-tos – with an ‘o’ sound, not an ‘uh’ sound,” Kyuhyun corrects, and Donghae repeats it back successfully, causing Kyuhyun nod, his smile showing now.

 

“Does it have a meaning?” Donghae asks, so curious to know more, to get to finally know Kyuhyun.

 

Kyuhyun thinks, and Donghae wonders just how many languages the male knows.

 

“Wind?” Kyuhyun says, tone unsure. “I think the closest meaning in the common tongue is wind. Nothing exciting.”

 

“It fits though,” Donghae disagrees, excited. “You communicate through soft wordless sounds, it fits really well.”

 

Kyuhyun blushes, and Donghae finds the sight so rare and so adorable to see on the usually cold alien.

 

“I need to shift regularly, I become agitated if I don’t, so if you see a sudden animal in a room, you know why,” Kyuhyun explains, clearing his throat slightly.

 

“Understood. Is that why you kept disappearing during the night?”

 

“Partly,” Kyuhyun admits, and Donghae hears the edging of the male’s tone, signalling he’s hiding something.

 

“Partly?” he echoes back.

 

“I...okay, so I’m technically not a guard,” Kyuhyun reveals, almost looking sheepish, and suddenly it all makes sense, the overcompensating, the awkwardness, the difference between him and Siwon, it causes Donghae to laugh.

 

And Kyuhyun immediately looks offended, so Donghae rushes to explain. “I’m not laughing at you; I’m laughing because I knew something was odd about your way of guarding me, so it all makes sense now.”

 

Kyuhyun fidgets slightly.  “I felt it was best if I was the one to do it, you know, since you saved me.”

 

Donghae smiles, chest feeling warm at the admission. “So while you couldn’t let me escape, you wanted someone who I was familiar with?”

 

Kyuhyun nods, looking down at his feet.

 

“I’m seeing a whole new side to you now,” Donghae admits gently, and Kyuhyun’s head darts up. “I quite like this side of you. The real you.”

 

“You sound so sure that this is the real me,” Kyuhyun jokes, expression wary.

 

“You sound more natural, your body language is more relaxed than it has ever been, that alone tells me you’re no longer playing a role,” Donghae tells him, causing Kyuhyun to stare. “I have a keen eye, Kyuhyun. I always knew something was off.”

 

Kyuhyun’s blushing grows more.

 

“So what is your job then?” Donghae asks, and Kyuhyun tells him, as simple as he can, what his job role entails and what he did on Earth.

 

In turn, Kyuhyun asks questions about Donghae’s job, unfamiliar with human jobs just like how Donghae was with his own.

 

They talk and talk until Donghae realises they’ve practically had a conversation in the bathroom, a strange place to get to know each other. It makes him laugh, and when Kyuhyun questions why, Donghae shares, making Kyuhyun laugh as well, shaking his head.

 

“You’re easy to talk to,” Kyuhyun says as Donghae jumps down off the counter, himself still resting against the doorjamb.

 

“I get that a lot,” Donghae smiles. “I just find it hard to talk back, I get tongue-tied easily, so I usually listen.”

 

“You’ve spoken more than me,” Kyuhyun teases, and that alone just shows the shift between them, the ability to tease each other now whereas before the thought alone was too ludicrous.

 

Donghae rolls his eyes, shooing him. “I actually need to use the bathroom now for more than just talking.”

 

Kyuhyun nods and backs away. “I’ll get some food ready.”

 

“You don’t need to cook for-”

 

“Take all the time you need, make yourself feel more human,” Kyuhyun says as he walks away, continuing to tease him.

 

Donghae watches the male leave, head poking out of the room in order to do so.

 

As Kyuhyun hums, his voice changing, and Donghae briefly forgets about his full bladder as he becomes sucked into the male’s voice, awed as he begins to sing softly in what Donghae’s assuming to be _Ventos_.

 

He leaves the door open a crack, allowing the singing to still be heard as he goes about his business, feeling at peace for the first in a long time.

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun thought things were going fine, he and Donghae were steadily getting used to each other, learning about each other. His transition into becoming a bonded male was slow, the heat and anger he had suffered with on the ship not bothering for the moment due to him being near Donghae; he was appeased in that way because of the constant interaction with the human.

 

However, this wasn’t enough for those watching him, monitoring his transition.

 

Kyuhyun isn’t aware of the time period they will be monitoring him for; it could end suddenly or go on for as long as possible.

 

Since Kyuhyun was on leave, his team too, he used his time to read up – away from Donghae – about the process, because whilst he knew the main moments, he didn’t know it all. Seohyun helped him that, her connections allowing him to understand intimately what will happen, giving him plenty of things to prepare for.

 

The first stage of the bonding transition is basically Kyuhyun’s body recognising and alerting him he’s found his bond-mate, the trigger has been pulled and that he needs to prepare himself and his bond-mate for what’s to come. And since he isn’t allowed to disclose that to Donghae - because no one believed him - he was doubling up on helpful information for when the time no doubt comes for Donghae to learn of this phenomenon in his species. But Kyuhyun will suffer from the symptoms first before his bond-mate, which explains the heat and rages in the past.

 

The second stage is where things tend to get rocky, and is the shortest stage because Kyuhyun will start to desire and want his bond-mate more fully, he will become more aware of his bond-mate in every sense, especially emotionally, he will be in tune to Donghae’s emotional being and Kyuhyun will start to grow irritated if he’s kept from interacting or being near his bond-mate since this time period is crucial to establish the changes between both, and Kyuhyun will produce more energy, more heat that will fuel the attraction he will develop.

 

The third and final stage is the most obvious – the actual bonding. Both will have recognised each other as bond-mates, their bodies transitioning being complete, the markings over their skin to brand they are Bonded will be complete now, and they will physically bond with each through sex, the last thing to seal the change. Though, it warns that the bonding can go either way since it depends on the alien and also the level of need and heat fuelling the bonding transition, and since sex for _Variatores_ is focused on more than their fellow alien species, the actual bonding moment is a huge deal, a joyous moment to celebrate.

 

Kyuhyun was honestly worried. He was the alien, but Donghae is human, and there is no record of how or if the bonding transition even affects them. It doesn’t help either that Kyuhyun is younger than most bonding cases. In the worst case scenario, Donghae won’t react to Kyuhyun’s energy and behaviour, the pheromones being released to know he’s ready and willing to bond with him, and Kyuhyun will be separated from him and forced to endure the effects of separation since his body is in the middle of the transition and no longer is near his bond-mate.

 

And if he was being even more honest, he is almost afraid of that happening, because while he truly believes Donghae was his trigger and _is_ his bond-mate - the fact he’s starting and has been referring the male as Kyuhyun’s being the main giveaway, Kyuhyun feels it, knows in his bones that Donghae is part of him, but those around him do not.

 

They believe Kyuhyun is confused because of his capture, and that it developed trauma which then triggered for Kyuhyun to place the human in a protector position.

 

Kyuhyun knows different. He just needs for it to show in Donghae.

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun enters the second stage totally out of the blue, without anything coming from Donghae to escalate it to that stage.

 

Ignoring Donghae’s concerned shout of his name, Kyuhyun shuts himself into the bathroom just as his body releases a burst of energy that had rapidly built up a few minutes ago, knocking some of Donghae’s stuff over on the counter as Kyuhyun moans, his body alive with hot tingles rushing up and down his body, causing him to shudder.

 

His senses sharpen, zeroing in on Donghae’s fresh smell since the male had a shower not too long ago, and Kyuhyun practically melts against the door as he’s smacked with the first wave of lust for the male, the heat that he had felt at the very beginning now even more intense due to Kyuhyun developing feelings for the male and wanting the bonding, escalating it into lust.

 

 “ _Fuck_ ,” Kyuhyun swears in _Ventos_ , stripping his clothes off him as his side burns.

 

Dragging his horny ass off the floor, Kyuhyun searches his body in the mirror, eyes locked on the silver mark burning in his side.

 

He takes his time to search his body for more, with it being a while since he last did so, and counts three more vine like marks etched faintly into his skin, just waiting to get more prominent, to stand out against his skin.

 

As he trails a finger over the mark on his side, hissing as it sends a jolt of heat through him, the door creaks open.

 

“You okay?” Donghae asks, head poking in, and his concern vanishes as he sees Kyuhyun without his shirt on, sees the few bonding marks he has over his upper body. “Whoa...”

 

Kyuhyun barely contains a moan as Donghae edges more into the room, his face totally curious as he studies Kyuhyun’s body.

 

“What do the marks mean?” Donghae asks, polite of course. “I know I asked before, but you freaked out?”

 

“I was surprised you even knew about them,” Kyuhyun breathes, just barely remembering to say it in English. “They only appear when a _Variatore_ experiences something.”

 

“Like a memory?” Donghae asks, eyes wide with wonder. “Or like a scar?”

 

“They’re something a _Variatore_ is proud to wear,” Kyuhyun whispers, voice almost purring as his skin burns, throat working hard as he turns to allow Donghae a better look. “They aren’t scars.”

 

“So they don’t hurt?”

 

“Oh they hurt when they appear and grow, but they’re worth it,” Kyuhyun breathes, hand reaching out for Donghae’s, needing some sort of contact from his bond-mate.

 

Kyuhyun guides Donghae’s hand to the one on his hip, the second one he had got, the human’s skin not soft, not like Kyuhyun’s, his hands were a little rough due to his work.

 

Both jolt as they touch each other.

 

“Oh, it’s smooth,” Donghae whispers, marvelled.

 

Kyuhyun lets go as Donghae traces it. “I did say they’re not scars,” he swallows, and Donghae looks up at hearing it.

 

“Is...is this okay?”

 

“Yeah,” Kyuhyun rushes out, feels a little dizzy even from the male’s touch. “You’re the first.”

 

“To touch?” Donghae questions, surprised.

 

Kyuhyun hums, hand grabbing Donghae’s again to direct him to the new one, wanting to know how it will feel compared to his own.

 

“You’re so hot,” Donghae murmurs as Kyuhyun shuts his eyes, savouring the feeling as the male traces the mark.

 

Unable to resist, Kyuhyun smiles, eyes shut still. “Thanks, you’re not so bad yourself.”

 

Donghae snorts at that. “I keep expecting to get a shock,” he admits, and Kyuhyun shakes his head.

 

“Too aware,” he mumbles.

 

“Are you usually this hot?” Kyuhyun eyes snap open the second Donghae’s hand deviates from the mark, touching his unmarked skin.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t answer and instead studies the human.

 

Donghae’s skin is flushed slightly, the male’s eyes dilated as he continues to touch Kyuhyun.

 

Kyuhyun can barely breathe.

 

Kyuhyun steps back as another wave of energy pulses from him, knocking him against the counter as Donghae makes a sound.

 

“What...why is it so hot in here?” Donghae demands, fanning himself as he steps from Kyuhyun. “Do you need to shift?”

 

Kyuhyun shifts, knowing that if he opens his mouth to answer he’ll end up revealing all, and instantly rubs himself against Donghae’s leg, purring.

 

“A kitten?” Donghae says, a laugh to it. “Never would have pictured you as a dainty little kitten.”

 

If he had turned into a dog, he would be trying to hump Donghae due to the hunger raking through him.

 

Kyuhyun begins to climb up the male’s pants leg, causing the male to hiss as his nails catch his skin before plucking him off him, causing Kyuhyun to meow loudly, _needing_ to be near the male in this safe and innocent form.

 

“You look cute as a kitten too,” Donghae coos, holding him as Kyuhyun practically flails at the compliment.

 

Kyuhyun licks at the male’s fingers, causing the human to laugh softly, stroking him. “Do you take on their characteristics or is this all you, Hyun?”

 

Kyuhyun stares up at the name, watching as Donghae realises what he had said, his face burning.

 

“I-I...sorry, I don’t know if nicknames are cool for your kind, but it feels natural to call you that and you can call me Hae or whatever but you know, I thought we had gotten close and comfortable to...” as Donghae continues to babble, Kyuhyun licks the male’s hand to get his attention.

 

As he stops babbling, Kyuhyun rubs his head into the male’s palm, purring.

 

“It’s okay?” Donghae guesses.

 

Kyuhyun purrs louder.

 

Donghae relaxes. “Cool,” he grins stupidly, and Kyuhyun knows he’s done for, completely done for, because his bond-mate looks completely _irresistible_ smiling like that that Kyuhyun could stay like this all day, just watching him, and being petted.

 

So he does.

 

 

 

 

Donghae wonders if it’s because he’s on this planet why he feels strange.

 

He’s hot. _Constantly_.

 

He thought it had been because of Kyuhyun’s extra energy, but the male has shifted and shifted back and the heat is still lingering, following Donghae everywhere.

 

It’s near impossible to sleep now, Kyuhyun being oblivious to Donghae’s constant tossing and turning in the room next to his.

 

It also doesn’t help he’s being feeling randy lately, his last sexual release being so long ago that it’s understandable it has come back with a vengeance.

 

But the only time he can get alone is in the shower, but when he tries, he finds himself thinking of a particular someone that it makes him feel wrong for even thinking Kyuhyun like that.

 

Donghae finds him attractive, beautiful. His voice is Donghae’s favourite thing about him, and he still can’t believe how comfortable and close they have gotten since arriving here.

 

It doesn’t matter to him that Kyuhyun is an alien, he’s done nothing but be nice to Donghae, and Donghae’s starting to develop a mini crush on him.

 

It doesn’t help that Donghae can’t get the male’s body out of his head, keepings picturing and remembering the unbelievable smoothness of the male’s skin, the male’s marks.

 

Donghae chucks the covers off him, body feeling way too antsy for him to even try to sleep.

 

He’s only sleeping in his boxers now, but even they are starting to annoy him.

 

Dragging his feet to the bathroom, seeing that Kyuhyun was still sleeping through the crack of his open door, Donghae tries to cool himself down.

 

Splashing cold water on his face, Donghae takes a deep breath, counting to ten to rid of the thoughts of sneaking into Kyuhyun’s room to wake him up, to see if maybe being outside would curb the sticky heat surrounding him.

 

It’s not like he asks for anything, he may as well try.

 

Creeping into the male’s room, grimacing at the heat still following him since he had hoped Kyuhyun’s room would be cooler; he approaches the bed and softly calls the male’s name.

 

Kyuhyun moans, and hears the sound of him rustling in his sleep, the room too dark for him to make any details out.

 

Donghae blindly searches the bed and jolts back at coming into contact with Kyuhyun’s burning skin, still unused to it being so hot.

 

“Hyun?”

 

This time, he gets a groaned and lucid response. “Hae?”

 

Donghae straightens. “Can we take a walk?”

 

“Walk?”

 

Donghae blindly searches the bedside table for the crystal light he knows is here and holds it until it brightens, causing them both to hiss.

 

Kyuhyun’s in the same undress state as himself and Donghae almost runs, his mind accelerating as he feels desire thump through him.

 

“It’s too hot; can we go outside and take a walk?” Donghae asks, voice coming out strained.

 

Kyuhyun sits up in an instant, face concerned. “You’re hot?” he says and presses a hand to his forehead. “Do you feel sick? Lethargic?”

 

“I wish,” Donghae laughs off. “I feel too wired.”

 

“Wired?” Kyuhyun repeats, staring at him.

 

Donghae nods, and fidgets. “I feel like I’m going to start bouncing off the walls any second.”

 

Kyuhyun looks apologetic. “I-”

 

Donghae nods, understanding. “Not allowed,” he says as he sags a little.

 

Kyuhyun stands abruptly, expression unreadable. “No, let’s go take a walk,” he says as he grabs a pair of bottoms and puts them on.

 

“But, are you-”

 

“You are my b-friend,” Kyuhyun stumbles over his words as he yanks the loose pants up. “And unless you want to go out like that, you need to put something on too.”

 

Donghae hurries from the room without a second thought, shoving a t-shirt and a pair of training shorts on.

 

As he meets Kyuhyun at the front door, he’s startled to see the male without a top on, and holding out the mask for Donghae to wear.

 

“You’re going out like that?” Donghae asks as he slips the mask over his nose and mouth, the oxygen filter activating the second it’s secure.

 

Kyuhyun nods and opens the door. “After you,” he says with a wave of his hand, and as Donghae eagerly steps through it, he feels Kyuhyun stick close behind him, the heat making Donghae shudder a little.

 

As Kyuhyun locks their door, Donghae waits, looking around the night scenery before following Kyuhyun.

 

“You never told me what this planet is called,” Donghae says as they fall into step with each other.

 

“It’s really too small to be named a planet, but it’s better than just calling it a shell,” Kyuhyun jokes, causing Donghae to smile. “Her name is Solar in English, in _Ventos_ , it’s a sound not a word, like a sigh.”

 

“Do it,” Donghae asks, eager to learn more and hear Kyuhyun’s mother tongue be spoken.

 

As Kyuhyun says it, his voice changing like it always does, Donghae feels an ache rise inside him. “I would love to be able to even say anything in _Ventos_ ,” he sighs.

 

Kyuhyun looks at him, his black eyes transfixing Donghae. “I’ll teach you,” Kyuhyun whispers, voice no louder than the soft cool night breeze.

 

Donghae smiles. “I’d love that.”

 

Kyuhyun breaks the eye contact to nod at something. “There is a balcony there; you can see the city’s glow better.”

 

Donghae practically runs, and takes in a deep breath at seeing the stunning sight. “So beautiful...”

 

“I guess it is,” Kyuhyun says as he leans next to him, looking out as well. “I guess I’ve taken it for granted. Five years sure hasn’t changed the place, which I am grateful for.”

 

“Must be nice to finally be home,” Donghae says, and despite wearing the mask, he breathes in deeply, as if he could taste the real air.

 

“I wish I could have shown you Korea when I had the chance,” Kyuhyun sighs, and Donghae looks over at him, sees the guilt.

 

“I have went all my life without seeing it, just knowing I was there is more than enough,” he comforts Kyuhyun, rubbing his arm, swallowing when the heat that had ebbed a little flares up.

 

Kyuhyun smirks at the comforting touch. “Does that actually work?” he teases and Donghae yanks his hand back.

 

“I usually hug, but I don’t want to get shocked,” Donghae retorts back.

 

“I’m aware, I won’t shock you,” Kyuhyun responds back.

 

“How do I know you’re not lying?”

 

“I wouldn’t lie to you.”

 

“Big words,” Donghae teases, stepping away from the balcony to head back to their home, the walk having only helped a little but not enough to get rid of the heat and energy.

 

“ _Variatores_ keep their word,” Kyuhyun says, following him as Donghae walks with his back to the way they had came.

 

“My mama always taught me to be wary of strangers,” Donghae playfully says, enjoying this.

 

“I thought we were past that,” Kyuhyun says, dark eyes shining in the limited lighting as they slowly walk. “Strangers don’t give each other nicknames, do they, Hae?”

 

That’s first time Kyuhyun has actually addressed him with a nickname, and it surprisingly robs him of air, causing him to stop walking, but Kyuhyun continues.

 

“What’s the matter?” Kyuhyun asks, voice soft, and Donghae knows he’s making it up, but it sounds like the male is trying to melt him with his voice.

 

“Nothing,” Donghae says in a rush, body heating more and more the closer Kyuhyun gets. “You surprised me.”

 

“And you’re partly lying,” Kyuhyun whispers, looking down at him, those damn black eyes glinting.

 

“You can read emotions?” Donghae gawps, stunned.

 

“Only for a few,” Kyuhyun murmurs, hand rising to touch Donghae’s chin, tilting him back a little. “You look flushed.”

 

“I did say I was hot.”

 

“Join the club,” Kyuhyun smirks, causing Donghae to roll his eyes.

 

“You-”

 

Something snaps through the moment, the tone harsh, and Kyuhyun jolts, turning to look over his shoulder as Donghae blankly wonders what the hell he had heard.

 

Kyuhyun starts to say something, and Donghae stares at the male as he speaks _Ventos_ , recognising an angry tone no matter the language. He peeks around Kyuhyun to see another _Variatore_ standing from them, a disgusted look on his face, which Donghae can only assume is directed at him because why else would he look disgusted at someone of his own kind.

 

Kyuhyun unexpectedly grabs Donghae’s wrist, pressing him close to Kyuhyun’s back as he and the other _Variatore_ argue, tension filling Kyuhyun’s body, a strong air of energy building around him that Donghae can feel.

 

Donghae knows trying to step in vocally is useless, so he needs to divert Kyuhyun’s attention from the problem by getting him away, back to their room; sometimes to win a fight is to be the bigger person and walk away, something Donghae has had to do a few times in his line of work.

 

He runs his hand up and down Kyuhyun’s spine, feeling the presence of the energy through his fingers as Kyuhyun twists to look at him.

 

“I don’t want to cause any fights, let’s just go,” Donghae whispers, stroking his spine still. “You shouldn’t fight with your own brothers.”

 

Kyuhyun’s hand gravitates to his hand instead of his wrist, and as the _Variatore_ screeches something at Kyuhyun, Kyuhyun ignores him and leads Donghae away from the male, his grip tight, pace quick.

 

The male doesn’t stop screeching until Kyuhyun has huddled him through their door, slamming it behind them and locking it.

 

Donghae’s heart is racing as he yanks off the mask, but not from the slightly hostile alien outside, but because he can still feel Kyuhyun’s touch, and he smothers a moan, stumbling away from Kyuhyun’s heat, feeling dizzy as his mind obsesses with the feeling.

 

Kyuhyun catches him, yanks him back, and Donghae is gasping as the _Variatore_ breathes on him, their faces inches away as Kyuhyun breathes hard, the air around him buzzing with energy.

 

“I- too hot,” Donghae whimpers, trying to escape, and Kyuhyun makes a strangled noise, causing him to freeze.

 

“I can help with it,” Kyuhyun pants out, swallowing. “I can help you with the need you’re feeling.”

 

“Need? I don’t feel needy-”

 

A light press to his groin has Donghae jerking, moaning as Kyuhyun feels him.

 

When Kyuhyun fondles him more firmly, Donghae can’t think as a burst of energy comes from off Kyuhyun.

 

As his senses come back to him from the white noise brought on by Kyuhyun’s energy wave, he realises both of them are making moaning sounds, breathing heavy.

 

“Help... I can help,” Kyuhyun moans out as he grips Donghae’s hips, and Donghae stops thinking as he kisses Kyuhyun, done with holding back his desire.

 

Kyuhyun makes some sort of delighted sound as he kisses back, and Donghae pushes them so he can press Kyuhyun against the wall, moaning as the _Variatore_ reaches beneath his shorts and underwear to feel him, stroke him to full hardness.

 

Donghae breaks the kiss, needing air. “Fuck,” he moans, head dropping to Kyuhyun’s shoulder as the male strokes him, squeezing his head and causing him to leak even more into his hand as Donghae rocks into the touch, too dizzy from the sensation and the heat.

 

Donghae mouths at Kyuhyun’s collarbone, teeth nipping as Kyuhyun teases him by slowing down, another hand sneaking down the back of his pants to push the down and off him, falling down his legs and pooling at his feet.

 

Donghae arches against the body, desperate for more touching, and pulls back to yank his own top off, startling Kyuhyun. “Need to touch,” Donghae moans as he rakes his hands over Kyuhyun’s bare chest, trying to remember where the marks were to see if maybe they have changed from being soft to rough, something to standout against the softness of Kyuhyun’s slender body.

 

Kyuhyun’s rhythm breaks, and Donghae looks down to see why, sees his hand is covering the mark he had seen on the male’s side a few days ago.

 

“Are they sensitive?” Donghae asks, voice shot from pleasure. “Your marks?”

 

“Yeah,” Kyuhyun pants, moving his other hand to another one as he kisses Donghae. “But it feels even better when you touch,” he says into the kiss, causing Donghae’s head to swim from the compliment.

 

“They’re like an erogenous zone,” Donghae teases, nail trailing over the mark, and Kyuhyun shudders, arching as a broken moan leaves him. “I wonder if you can just come by having your marks touched, kissed, licked.”

 

Kyuhyun moans something in _Ventos_ , the tone expressing it could have been a cuss word, and Donghae hungers to hear his _Variatore_ to come undone in his hands.

 

“Want me to try?” Donghae teases, feeling wicked as Kyuhyun clings to him, breathing hard. “You did say I was your first to touch them...”

 

“No, help you,” Kyuhyun manages out, and Donghae grabs the _Variatore_ hands and presses them to the wall, surprised he can actually subdue the male since he had expected resistance.

 

“Just for a minute,” Donghae whispers, kissing Kyuhyun slowly. “Then you can have me.”

 

“I can have you?” Kyuhyun echoes back, tone suddenly low that it makes Donghae’s insides squirm, his cock twitching.

 

Donghae rolls his groin against Kyuhyun’s straining erection, moaning from the back of his throat. “You can have me,” he repeats.

 

Kyuhyun cusses this time in English, and Donghae moans as they kiss roughly, trying to get as close to each other as physically possible as Kyuhyun pants out for them to move to a flatter surface.

 

The flatter surface comes in the form of the floor, both too eager and impatient to move far, and as Kyuhyun lies down, breathing quickly as Donghae gets to work to seeing if Kyuhyun’s markings are more than just pretty little decorations.

 

The answer is yes, and Donghae has Kyuhyun keening within seconds.

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun’s head is a mess, and as he pins Donghae harder to the floor, not letting the human so much as move as he prepares him with nothing but his mouth, Donghae a blubbering mess as he presses back for more, Kyuhyun dimly knows if they follow through with where this is heading, they will be bonded.

 

Kyuhyun knew Donghae’s heat was because of him, but had doubts if it truly was which is why he never pushed about it until tonight.

 

Now he knows, his bond-mate is nearly crying for him to satisfy him, to take away the heat that has caused him so much confusion and discomfort, and Kyuhyun doesn’t have time to panic about the fact this will be his first time with a human and what their limits are, he knows how sex works, make sure your partner is prepared and well lubricated to take it, and he’s doing his best to make sure his bond-mate won’t be in too much discomfort for their bonding.

 

Kyuhyun can feel more markings burn through his skin, deepening the ones he has, and making more in intricate patterns over his back and torso as he slips his fingers inside Donghae, feeling the male’s fluttering and tight walls, and almost breaks control right then and there.

 

It was a good thing Donghae had actually managed to make him come by just nothing but his mouth on his marks, because if he hadn’t had some sort of release before this, he would be fucking Donghae long before this.

 

Kyuhyun is already planning ahead for their next round, he wants to feel his bond-mate inside him, the thought alone makes Kyuhyun moan, body tightening with tension as Donghae begs that he’s ready.

 

Kyuhyun brings the male up onto his hands and knees, kisses up and down his sweaty spine, licking the salty taste up and shuddering. He lines himself up to Donghae’s entrance, and presses in.

 

Donghae chokes on his exclamation, arms buckling so he’s on his elbows now, and Kyuhyun has to grip the male’s hips at the sudden change in angle, the male tightening so much around him that Kyuhyun was having trouble breathing, jerking slightly as he tries to hold back.

 

“When?” Kyuhyun pants out, trying to calm down as he runs his hands up and down his bond-mate’s sides, kissing over his back as he gently brings the male back up, supporting him as Donghae shakes, making incoherent sounds.

 

Kyuhyun focuses on kissing his neck, distracting himself as the air charges around them, waiting as well.

 

He feels Donghae move slightly, drawing his hips from him before moving back, causing them both to moan at the sensation.

 

“I can’t think,” Donghae manages to get out, looking over his shoulder. “I ache so much, I-”

 

Kyuhyun shushes him with a kiss, the angle too awkward for anything deep as Kyuhyun begins to rock into Donghae, breathing heavy through his nose as Donghae lets out muffled sob, breaking the kiss to push back against him, wanting more.

 

Kyuhyun last maybe two more thrust before he loses control, his own need overruling him to bond with Donghae right now.

 

As the sound of Kyuhyun fucking Donghae burns its way into his memory, his spine blazing with pain as more marks appear, Kyuhyun and Donghae lose themselves to each other, and when Kyuhyun orders for Donghae to get on the sofa so his bond-mate isn’t in any discomfort, they are able to be face-to-face as Kyuhyun re-takes Donghae again, sinking back into his heat, moaning that he’s never leaving it, never leaving Donghae.

 

Donghae claws at him, unaware of the extra marks growing over Kyuhyun’s torso, and comes undone as Kyuhyun strokes him, the ache and heat finally dying down for him through the release.

 

Kyuhyun falls not long after, a little more frantic as he kisses Donghae, feeling a strange swell of energy and emotion build inside of him as Donghae edges him on, kissing him, teasing him with his marks, and when he does come, that feeling pours from him as he releases into Donghae, and Donghae moans as he shudders from the bonding wave, clutching at Kyuhyun as they’re both seared with heat.

 

When everything calms down, the heat and energy finally leaving, Kyuhyun finds himself lying on top of Donghae, who’s still clinging to him, whimper slightly, and Kyuhyun feels the fresh wetness against his stomach, Donghae’s second release having been brought on by the bonding.

 

“You okay?” Kyuhyun asks, voice hoarse as he moves Donghae’s hair from his damp face.

 

“I feel....amazing,” Donghae laughs out, and Kyuhyun rises a little so he isn’t restricting the human from breathing properly.

 

“I don’t want this to be a onetime thing, Hae,” Kyuhyun whispers out, trying to find the right way of telling the truth now it’s official; Donghae is his bond-mate.

 

“I kind of got that when you were moaning ‘mine’ throughout it,” Donghae teases, expression at ease that it makes Kyuhyun pause.

 

Kyuhyun forces himself to part from Donghae, guilt suddenly making him feel cold as he silently heads for the bathroom to get a damp towel to clean them both up.

 

Donghae doesn’t allow him to dote on him because he follows, expression concerned. “What‘s with the face?” he questions as Kyuhyun damps a cloth.

 

Kyuhyun remains silent, mind working fast.

 

“Kyuhyun?” Donghae sounds worried now, even self conscious, no...he _is_ feeling self conscious, Kyuhyun can feel it.

 

He silently turns and cleans Donghae’s body, the male allowing him, but Kyuhyun can feel the male’s stare on his body as he finally realises Kyuhyun markings.

 

“You...you’re covered in silver markings,” Donghae says, confused. “I thought-”

 

“They....they’re bonding marks, Donghae,” Kyuhyun reveals, puts the damp towel down on the counter, and meets the human’s confused eyes.

 

“Bonding marks?”

 

“ _Variatores_ bond sexually with their mate, the sign of a bonded couple are these markings,” Kyuhyun explains, swallowing as he carefully watches Donghae. “Since we’ve bonded, the marking is complete.”

 

“Hold on,” Donghae whispers, stepping back slightly. “When you say mate, do you mean-”

 

“Humans would call it soulmates,” Kyuhyun confirms. “But _Variatores_ call it bond-mates.”

 

“The heat...” Donghae says, mind working fast. “I was literally going into heat for you.”

 

“You were reacting to my desire to bond with you, my pheromones made you realise, triggering your own reaction at the chance of bonding with me.”

 

“Humans don’t bond, Kyuhyun,” Donghae states, voice high. “Not in the way you’re speaking of.”

 

“Which is why I hadn’t expected you to actually react,” Kyuhyun admits, finding himself unable to lie to his bond-mate now. “You’re the first human to have bonded with a _Variatore_ , Donghae, what we have has never existed before.”

 

Donghae turns and walks away, causing Kyuhyun to follow silently as the male heads to his room, shoving on a pair of boxers.

 

“Is this why you’re here now?” Donghae asks, tone clipped.

 

“Yes and no,” Kyuhyun says, causing the male to give him a harsh look.

 

“Well which is it?”

 

“We’re being monitored,” Kyuhyun reveals. “No one believed me that you are my bond-mate; they were convinced it was all in my head, so I needed to prove to them, to my kind, that you are important to me, that you are my bond-mate.”

 

Donghae is pale. “I’ve been monitored, my privacy invaded?”

 

“Yes,” Kyuhyun says weakly, looking down. “It was the only way I could prove them wrong and keep you safe.”

 

“Safe from what?!” Donghae snaps.

 

“You are a human on an alien planet, you are part of the race my own is currently at war with, you’re vulnerable here, Donghae. Not all _Variatores_ are like me, they are aggressive, like you saw tonight.”

 

“What did he say?” Donghae demands, hands in fists.

 

“He saw my bonding marks and basically ridiculed me,” Kyuhyun says simply, not wanting to fully reveal the disgusting remarks his fellow brother had said. “I was defending our bond, your stance within my world now.”

 

“You did that despite knowing I may not even bond with you?” Donghae asks, some of the male’s anger finally leaving him as he calms down, understanding the situation more.

 

Kyuhyun nods. “Despite my own fears of rejection and separation from you, I knew you were mine, and I wasn’t going to allow someone ridicule you.”

 

“You’re making it hard for me to remain angry, Kyuhyun,” Donghae says softly, and Kyuhyun bows his head.

 

“I’ll give you some space, but I don’t resent this. I feared it at the very beginning, but I don’t resent having you as my bond-mate, Donghae. By you being human, it makes it all the more special and unique.”

 

With that being said, Kyuhyun leaves Donghae’s room, shutting the door behind him, and heads for his own, unable to face the scene of their bonding in the living area.

 

As he sits on his bed, lost to his thoughts and memory of his bonding with Donghae, he hears his bond-mate move from his room, and approaches Kyuhyun’s.

 

Kyuhyun looks up to meet the male’s gaze as he stands in the doorway.

 

“Are you controlling me again?” Donghae asks, and Kyuhyun balks at the reminder and comment.

 

“No!”

 

“Just making sure,” the male smiles coming into Kyuhyun’s room, “your reaction was too genuine for it to be a lie.”

 

Kyuhyun swallows, not daring to hope. “You’re no longer angry?”

 

Donghae shakes his head. “No point being when it’s already done. Like you said, you couldn’t control it and you needed to prove us to your kind.”

 

“Us?” Kyuhyun echoes, his chest aching with an all new but slightly familiar emotion as Donghae crawls onto the bed to join him.

 

“You’re stuck with me now,” Donghae grins. “I’m not even going to bother pretending to be confused and angsty about it, what happened out there felt too right and natural, and while I can’t have the cool markings, I can feel a change in me.”

 

“The bond,” Kyuhyun puts the name to it. “You can feel it?”

 

“I feel some sort of attachment to you? I can sense your energy a lot more now, I’m like ten times more aware of you.”

 

Kyuhyun can’t help but grin, thankful his bond-mate can at least experience something as well instead of Kyuhyun experiencing it all.

 

“So now what happens?” Donghae asks as sneaks and arm around Kyuhyun, hugging him like he’s done it countless of times when in fact this was their first hug ever.

 

Kyuhyun keeps it clean despite the rise in temperature around them. “We’ll probably be summoned tomorrow for them to rule out me being crazy and to accept you.”

 

“Sounds....exciting.”

 

“I’ll have Siwon come for you, for you to spend some time with Hyukjae,” Kyuhyun says, smiling as Donghae brightens. “Thought you would like that.”

 

“Hyukjae has been my friend since we were kids; he’s someone who has kept me sane throughout the years.”

 

“It would be nice to actually get to know him,” Kyuhyun muses, and Donghae grins.

 

“I think that can be arranged,” his bond-mate teases, leaning close, the pretending to ignore their rising heat done with as Donghae kisses him.

 

Kyuhyun tugs him down, making the male lean over him as Donghae breaks the kiss to stare down at him.

 

Kyuhyun smirks, reaching up to nibble on the male’s bottom lip, causing Donghae to inhale sharply. “Why should I get all the fun?”

 

Donghae gets his meaning immediately.

 

“Let’s see how long you can last this time,” the male teases as he slips down Kyuhyun’s body, kissing his markings.

 

Kyuhyun doesn’t.

 

 

 

 

Donghae wakes up the first time to Kyuhyun kissing him goodbye, saying to him that he’s being summoned and that Siwon and Hyukjae will be over soon, and Donghae kisses goodbye before he’s tugged back into a dreamless sleep, surrounded by Kyuhyun’s scent and lingering energy.

 

When he wakes a second time, he realises something isn’t right.

 

It takes him a while to figure out why, too busy in waking up, but the second he does, his training kicks in.

 

Donghae coughs, choking as the air is thick with smoke, and as he rolls off the bed, dragging a blanket with him to help flitter some of the acidic smoke, Donghae crawls, heading for the door as his instincts take over, his hearing sharpening to pick up for signs of the fire.

As he carefully opens the door, expecting to be met with heat, Donghae can only see thick black smoke suffocating the living area.

 

Crawling more, heading into the direction of the front door as he coughs and coughs as the black smoke hurts his lungs, he catches the sight of something moving in the smoke, and as he hobbles to his feet, he’s struck backwards, flying into the wall, and crumpling down.

 

He hears something in _Ventos_ being snapped and Donghae drops the blanket as another attack comes, blocking it.

 

The smoke begins to clear, a cold breeze coming into the living area, and Donghae sees a very stocky _Variatore_ looming over him, rage and disgust filling his face.

 

Donghae headbutts him before the _Variatore_ can do anything, and as the alien stumbles back at the unexpected action, Donghae sees why the air is clearing - the front door is wide open.

 

Before Donghae can act though, he’s being booted into the stomach, and falls to his knees, gasping at being winded.

 

More _Ventos_ being spoken, the _Variatore_ snarling at him as it circles him, and Donghae can’t catch his breath, the room fast filling with the toxic atmosphere Solar has.

 

As Donghae blocks another kick, the door flies open, and Donghae’s heart sinks at the mere thought of more coming to harm him.

 

“Donghae!” he hears Hyukjae shout, and looks over to see Hyukjae being shoved to the side as the _Variatore_ rounds on him and Siwon.

 

As Siwon meets the _Variatore_ , Hyukjae circles wide around the fighting and yanks his mask off to give it to Donghae, holding his breath as he tries to find Donghae’s whilst keeping out of the way of the fighting.

 

Donghae hears a grunt, looks over to see Siwon pinning the _Variatore_ with ease, his hands cuffed with the restraints Siwon had used on himself and Hyukjae.

 

“Be right back,” Siwon huffs out as he drags the alien through the door, slamming it shut behind him as Hyukjae races back over to Donghae, wearing his mask.

 

“What the hell is going on?!” Hyukjae asks, helping Donghae up now he’s managed to catch his breath.

 

“I have no idea,” Donghae wheezes, chest sore, his nose and mouth burning from breathing in the acidic air.

 

They both get the answer when Siwon returns, minus one alien. “We need to leave,” Siwon announces, working fast as he prepares a bag, ignoring their questions until he’s done packing Donghae’s and Kyuhyun’s things.

 

“Kyuhyun has been arrested,” Siwon says tightly, zipping the bag. “You both aren’t safe here no more.”

 

“Were we ever?” Hyukjae comments as they hurry after Siwon.

 

“Kyuhyun had warned me something like this may happen when he called, I need you both to stay quiet and quick, we don’t have much time.”

 

Donghae and Hyukjae don’t need to be told twice, and follow like the trained shadows they used to be.

 

 

 

 

 

Kyuhyun is getting a little sick of being captured, first by humans, and now his own kind.

 

Kyuhyun stalks the electric cage in black panther form. Fucking doctors, he _knew_ they would pull this stunt the second they realised Kyuhyun was right.

 

They had no intention of following through with their promise, they weren’t interested in mixed bonding, or the fact of _why_ it may have happened; they didn’t want humans mixing with them at all.

 

Hence, Kyuhyun’s current situation.

 

He was just glad his paranoia over his bond-mate’s safety had given him the sense to ask Siwon to look after the two humans after explaining what could happen and what has happened between him and Donghae.

 

Siwon wouldn’t betray him. At least, he’s hoping the male won’t, he sort of counting on him to come for Kyuhyun.

 

The longer Kyuhyun waits, the more he begins to fret over Donghae’s safety.

 

So when he finally hears the sound of fighting, sees Siwon easily disable the cell guards, Kyuhyun swears to never doubt the male again.

 

“They’re fine,” Siwon hisses out before Kyuhyun has the chance of slipping into his head to demand it. “I have commandeered a podship like you asked, so we need to move fast. The entire colony is now in high alert because of you.”

 

Siwon disables the live electricity and Kyuhyun shifts so he can slip through the bars before returning to his panther form, since his actual one is no good for running or fighting if need be.

 

The plan is to escape Solar and to return back to Earth. Heechul was still there, and if he knew the truth, he has the connections to their leaders, where Kyuhyun is hoping they will take his and Donghae’s bonding more seriously.

 

It is a huge shot in the dark, but Kyuhyun knows his bonding with Donghae cannot be a fluke, if it can happen to him, what makes you think it hasn’t already happened to others and they’re too scared to come forward? If Kyuhyun can prove that both races can live peacefully, live back on Earth most importantly, and come to some new agreement where they can co-exist due to mixed bonding, it could save millions.

 

That has been Kyuhyun’s entire goal from the very start, for them all to live in peace.

 

 

 

 

 

It had been rough escaping Solar, but they managed it.

 

Now that they were nearing Earth again, avoiding the fighting vessels, Kyuhyun managed to get into contact with Heechul, pleading for him to help them.

 

The last time they had spoken, Heechul was the one to tell Kyuhyun that his bond-mate may be terminated if the results they get are true, and while the male had said it at that point in time as a fact, Kyuhyun realised now that it was a warning, one that Kyuhyun missed completely.

 

It works, Heechul sends out two escort vessels to escort them safely through the fighting and through Earth’s atmosphere.

 

Siwon assures him he will keep Donghae and Hyukjae safe whilst Kyuhyun meets with Heechul, but surprisingly, the _Variatore_ wants all four of them in his office.

 

“I have Solar officials harassing me,” Heechul says, tone annoyed as he relaxes in his chair, studying the four of them. “What did you do this time, Kyuhyun?”

 

“They tried to kill my bond-mate,” Kyuhyun says, hand tightening on Donghae’s. “They didn’t like the truth they found out.”

 

“Which is?”

 

“Human and _Variatore_ bonding is possible, and if it’s happened to me, what makes you think it hasn’t happened to others? Not just _Variatores_ , but to the other species.”

 

“That is a very big ‘if’,” Heechul says, watching them. “What makes you think either side cares about mixed mating?”

 

“It shows that either side can co-exist, and most importantly, we need to reveal Earth’s safe zones _ourselves_ by showing life being there. If we can show that co-existing has equal benefits, they get back some of Earth and some of our own can live in peace, then I don’t see the harm of trying to avoid millions dying over something as stupid as pride,” Kyuhyun explains, eyes begging Heechul to take him seriously.

 

 “Did you hear that?” Heechul calls, and Kyuhyun stares as the monitors behind Heechul come live with the feed, showing the elders.

 

“We understand where you’re coming from, Kyuhyun, but we don’t have enough proof of more relations like this existing.”

 

“What if I find them?” Kyuhyun argues, desperate. “It may take awhile, but what if I can proof that this is happening to others? What will happen?”

 

“If it’s proven mixed mating can occur, it then leads to the fact mixed breeding can happen too, in which case a new law and treaty will have to be made to ensure they have protection and rights as well.”

 

“So it could stop the war?” Hyukjae asks, not the least bit intimidated by the elders of the alien race, and Donghae looks at him, pleased his friend is no longer keeping himself quiet to authority figures.

 

“It could stop this one, but wars will happen again, no life system exists in total peace.”

 

“Give me a few months,” Kyuhyun pleads. “I have connections, my team I have on Solar are excellent in finding out information, they could help me lead investigations on the different zones.”

 

“And I have connections as well, we both do,” Hyukjae says, referring to himself and Donghae, who nods. “We could help dig as well - Explorers are our best bet.”

 

“And if you fail to produce evidence within the allotted time?”

 

“Then you can go back to mindlessly killing each other,” Kyuhyun dryly says.

 

“We’ll be in touch once we’ve made contact with the human leaders.”

 

Heechul crosses his arms as the feed closes. “You know, when I sent you away, I honestly didn’t expect it to happen so quick, even when they told me to keep you here, I thought being isolated from him until you were on Solar would be the safest place for you to bond, how wrong was I, huh?”

 

Kyuhyun blinks at him. “What?”

 

“You can’t stay in Korea, it’s like an army zone at the moment, but you can go to one of the zones you still have running,” Heechul says, swinging his chair a little, smirking.

 

Kyuhyun’s face burns, his secret apparently not one. “You knew I wouldn’t?”

 

“I’ve known you since you were a youngling, of course I knew you would defy me if you believed I was wrong.”

 

“What about-”

 

“Even if you are denied, are you going to just give up?”

 

Kyuhyun smiles. “No.”

 

“That is the environmentalist I know. Name what you need and let me know the coordinates of the zone you want to reside in, I’ll have your team brought back from Solar.”

  

“Wait, what’s going on?” Donghae asks, confused.

 

“We’re hiding on Earth,” Siwon answers, startling the two humans for even conversating with them.

 

“If we can find other bonded couples like us, then we need a safe haven for them,” Kyuhyun explains.

 

“But...Earth is currently in the middle of the war?” Hyukjae says, lost.

 

“Only one side mainly,” Heechul butts in. “They’re not bothering with anywhere else but this zone – and even now they’re giving up, they’re too concerned with protecting their zones.”

 

“They’re losing, right?” Kyuhyun says, aware of the news he had heard on Solar, and his bond-mate and Hyukjae look uncomfortable at that.

 

“Which should work in our favour in calling a momentary truce,” Heechul says. “But, who knows what they will do, humans are idiots. No offense to you two.”

 

“Some taken,” Hyukjae growls out.

 

Donghae’s grin grows, feeling proud of his friend.

 

“As much as I’d love to sit and chat, I have a fleet waiting for me to tell them where to go and who to kill,” Heechul claps, rising from his chair. “Oh don’t pull those faces; we’re still technically at war and I have a job to continue doing. Kyuhyun, I expect a report of what you need and those coordinates by the end of the day.”

 

Kyuhyun sighs, the door shutting behind the male. “Well, at least he didn’t scream. He took this surprisingly calm.”

 

“Heechul isn’t stupid, he probably knew you would end up wanting to research your own bonding sooner or later,” Siwon says, shrugging.

 

“I still can’t get used to the fact he’s talking more,” Hyukjae says bluntly, causing Siwon to glower at him.

 

“So, we wait?” Donghae asks Kyuhyun, hand still clutching his.

 

Kyuhyun nods, wrapping his arms around his bond-mate, ignoring the bickering Siwon and Hyukjae are doing, used to it after the journey back. “And hope we will pause the war, even if it is just for a limited time.”

 

“Do you honestly think we’ll find any like us?” Donghae whispers, hugging him tightly.

 

“Space is big, who knows what we’ll find.”

 

“Let’s try tracking down explorers, they are most likely seen something,” Donghae says, mind already listing potential zones to check out. “I could get a recent record from someone we used to work with.”

 

“Yah! If you’re going to say shit in that alien language then I’ll just say shit in Korean!” Hyukjae rages, and Kyuhyun sniggers as the human reverts to speaking in Korean.

 

“What?” Donghae asks, amused.

 

“Siwon knows Korean.”

 

Both of them look to see Siwon grinning, enjoying riling up the redhead, it was his new hobby apparently.

 

“I thought officers were trained to have a cool head?” Kyuhyun teases, watching the scene.

 

“I thought aliens were meant to be cold and lacking a sense of humour?” Donghae teases back.

 

“Look at us breaking stereotypes,” Kyuhyun snorts, and Donghae surprises him by speaking in Korean, informing Hyukjae that he’s wasting his breath and that Siwon can understand him.

 

“Is there anything that you can’t do?!” Hyukjae screeches, causing Kyuhyun and Siwon to laugh.

 

This is how it should be, peaceful and slightly hilarious existence between the two races.

 

And they’re going to work hard to show that it _is_ possible.

 

Their journey is going to be hard work, but they have the best reason to argue against the doubts and judgements that they’ll meet.

 

If a human can fall in love with an alien, and an alien can become bonded to a human, isn’t this just showing that despite them being different, there is no need to actually fear or be distant to each other?

 

After all, love - and most importantly – friendship, can happen to anyone if you’re willing to allow it.

                                      

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is to celebrate Kyuhae Day 2014, so I hope you all enjoyed it! 
> 
>  
> 
> (also, if the brainwashing didn't work, I do apologise, I tried. Sci fi is a whole new area for me, one I think I'll leave alone now)
> 
>  
> 
> Edit: part of the sequel [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/2319041)!


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